For the Love of Venus
by alizep
Summary: AU The story of Minako & Kunzite and the beginning of an affair. She was betrothed to him by her father, but can she love him? Or are the stories about him true? Not the best summary although about the best couple!
1. Chapter 1

11/04/07 - More new notes! So I'm at it again with the rewrites. I've added some more detail to this chapter and I think it's much more descriptive. Please review and let me know what you think. For anyone who has already read this story let me know if you like the rewrites. Enjoy!

I hope everyone enjoys reading this story either for the first time or the revised time! Please remember to review! Every bit of feedback is appreciated!

Here is my disclaimer for the remainder of the story so that I don't have to type it over and over and bore everyone - I don't own these characters, any of them.

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She stared out the stone framed window looking longingly over the unfamiliar land before her. This castle had become her home, a choice that she had not willingly made, nor agreed to. Her father had sold her to this cruel man without a word or any regard for her own wishes - not that he had ever concerned himself with such trivial matters. She had felt as if suddenly she couldn't breathe at hearing the news from her father and had attempted to flee the room hoping to escape her fate. Unfortunately fate was not on her side that day as she spun around directly into the arms of two formally uniformed guards, sent to take her to her home – HIS home. And like that she was to belong to a man that she had never seen but had heard only stories of. What would he look like she wondered? To be Endymion's first General he must be older, and probably covered in battle scars, she had thought to herself, imagining the worst. Most of the soldiers she had met in her life tended to have a foul disposition towards women, seeing them as being inferior, and a man of the General's rank was probably the worst of them all.

She arrived after three days of traveling by carriage and cried upon reaching her new home – a cold castle that was gifted to this man by the crown Prince himself. A middle aged woman, who she later found out to in charge of the estate, had shown her to her new room which fortunately was separate from his. It had been several more days before she was to meet him for the first time. He sent the same woman who had originally been the one to greet her upon her arrival (if one could call the cool, simple exchange a greeting) to retrieve her from her room and had her brought to his quarters for all intents and purposes, to examine her. What was he expecting from her?

He entered into the room where she had been brought to wait and her eyes widened at the sight of him. She had envisioned that he would have looked many ways, but not like this. Very few men could be described as being beautiful without loss to their masculinity, but his features were more than what handsome could describe. His was a face that drew you in with its defined features and sharp gray eyes that seemed to hold a lifetime's worth of wisdom. He appeared young, not many years older than she, which is probably what surprised her most of all. His toned body proudly bore the uniform of the Prince's Generals. The white jacket seemed like it was melded to his muscular chest while his tall legs were fitted in brown pants with leather boots up to his knees. A brown cape with a midnight blue lining hung freely from his shoulders, stopping at mid calf. The jacket was lined with gold piping that ran the length of his chest ending beneath the brown leather belt that adorned his waist, supporting a holstered sword. The look was striking and the dark colors of his clothing provided a contrast to his light features. His cool eyes locked on hers and all thoughts of turning away were lost. He watched her quietly, unmoving, and she wondered if perhaps he was waiting for her to speak. "I'm-."

"I know who you are," he spoke sternly interrupting her. She opened her mouth to respond but then quickly closed it as his eyes turned a steely gray and looked her over. "That'll do." His mouth turned into a frown as he turned to walk back into the room he had come from, and like that he was gone. She was brought back to her room where several more days went by before she was to see him again, with yet another week passing before he would speak another word to her. Time passed slowly with each day blending into the next. Monotony became routine and after some time she found herself desperate for companionship - even in the form of monosyllabic conversations with the General.

Her thoughts were broken now by the sounds of the men riding on horseback as they approached the castle. She looked down and watched as they came closer into view and noticed the pack was being led by a man in a white and brown uniform with silver hair, his cape flapping behind him in the wind with only the blue underside visible from her angle. It was him – he was home, and bound to be angry with her as he tended to be. But what was she to do? She didn't ask for any of this, this isn't what she wanted, to find herself the property of this man who by all appearances was as cold as this castle. With a sigh she turned from the window and smoothed out her dress, anticipating the argument that would soon ensue. Sometimes agitating him was the only source of amusement that she had, although today that was hardly the case. On days where she knew he was genuinely angry, she made every effort to avoid him. Although seeing as she was the reason of his current anger, she knew that she was not going to be able to avoid him and delaying the inevitable would do little to improve the situation. The sounds of footsteps on the stone floor outside her hallway grew louder until her door flew open and she found herself staring into his eyes – cold and angry.

"You had an appointment today yet you decided not to show," he said walking towards her. "You disobeyed me."

"I couldn't go. It's just too much for me, I'm not ready. I have asked you for more time – why must we rush things?"

"You've had enough time, now you are stalling and I will not tolerate it. You were chosen – maybe you don't understand the importance of your situation. Any other girl would have all but killed to stand where you are now, yet you continue to respond with contempt. I have been patient enough! You will do as you are told and I will not hear anything more from you!"

"I will not do as you say and I will not continue with this ridiculous charade of yours!" she shouted, energy radiating from her small frame. She stood up from her seat by the window and walked away from him.

He approached her in a few short steps and grabbed her left arm firmly with his right hand. His height made him appear to loom over her. "I will not say it again."

She lifted her chin, trying to close the height gap between them with little success. "And I will not -!" The rest of her sentence was lost as she found herself being pulled off her feet and flung ungracefully onto the bed next to her in a flurry of limbs and pale blue dress layers, her legs resting over the edge of the mattress as she landed on her backside. She moved to pull herself up, her feet flailing in an attempt to find the ground below her, but was pushed back by the weight of his body. A shock ran through her as she felt his hard chest pressing down on her and the way his face hovered just over hers. "Release me," she spoke defiantly, hoping that he would not notice the panic in her breathing.

"Enough is enough, Minako. I want to make it clear to you that I am the one in charge and you will do as you are told. I am your master now and I will not stand for your insolence. My patience runs thin and as many can attest to, I doubt that you want to see that side of me."

She fought to control herself – to not let him sense her apprehension so that he wouldn't know the way he affected her. With every breath she could feel his body pressing into hers. A feeling began to spread over her that she couldn't quite explain making her want to escape from him even more. "You want my submission and you have it."

"You have no idea what I want," he growled at her, any traces of humor fading from his features. She suddenly feared that she said the wrong words.

"I only assumed that you – that you would – that you wanted…. " Her voice trailed off, no longer sure of herself nor of the man above her. "I'm sorry."

"Good. I will not have this 'discussion' with you again." He paused as he looked down on her and then quickly, without warning, he brought his lips down on hers, lightly grazing them. Her mind froze at his sudden contact but her body did not suffer the same affliction as she responded to him in turn. His kiss deepened and hardened as he pulled her closer still. She started to push herself away from him as his kisses turned bruising, and at feeling her shifting under him, Kunzite pulled back from her and the lustful intensity of his eyes startled her, instantly breaking her mind free from its frozen state and causing her to bring her hand up to slap him. His eyes turned an icy gray as he brought his fist down to the space near her head and after a moment pulled himself off of her. With a sharp tone he said, "That one I will allow, the next time will carry further consequences. You will not be warned again." She continued to stare at him breathlessly from where he left her. As he walked towards the door he said over his shoulder "I'm done with you for now. But I will be back to deal with you later." And with a slam of the door he was gone.

She slid off the bed to the floor and brought her knees to her chest, leaving her dress to flow around her. The effect he had on her was overwhelming and she feared the effect that his appearance had on her body. He had been curt with her in the past, but he always kept his guard up not allowing her to see his true emotions. His kisses had been hard and she could still feel his lips on hers. She had been kissed before by others, but never with so much intensity. She needed to escape from here before she lost herself to him. Rumors of him and his cruelty were wide spread across the land – no one more feared than he. She had hoped that the stories were wrong – that she need not fear him – but when she found herself to be his 'captive' she realized that the tales might not be so far from the truth. He was her betrothed and when their wedding day came she would be his….


	2. Chapter 2

11/04/07 - Not too many changes here, very small in fact. Please review!

Here's chapter 2 - enjoy and review. Thanks!

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It came as no surprise when he failed to stay true to his promise to deal with her. He couldn't be bothered with her and this time was no exception. Again, she became overwhelmed with boredom and debated whether or not she should approach him. Their last encounter had left her somewhat shaken by his forcefulness, but it did give her something to think about for a couple of days helping her to escape from the tediousness of her day to day activities, or lack thereof. How would he respond to her? Would he be angry still, or would he again face her with disinterest? She received her answers a few days later when she found herself being escorted to the royal palace by Kunzite himself. He had spoken his normal handful of words to her letting her know that he had business with the prince as his way of telling her that he would be going with her. Although she had the feeling that he chose to ride with her instead of ahead on his own so that he could make sure that she kept her promise to show up this time. They rode together in silence; he appeared to be completely indifferent to her presence, not that she had been expecting much else from him.

Once they arrived at the palace he helped her down from her horse and pulled her close to him. She felt a shiver run through her thinking about the encounter she had with him only days before as his lips grazed her ear and silently hoped that he hadn't felt it as well. He whispered sharply into her ear, "when asked about your whereabouts from the other day you will say that you were feeling ill. I will not tolerate any gossip around this Palace and not in front of my Prince. Do you understand?"

She felt as though she were a child being reprimanded by an angry parent and chose not to respond to him, but to instead turn on her heel and walk away, causing her hair to fan out behind her, a most hypnotic movement to any beholder. Before she could take more than a couple steps he reached out and wrapped his arm around her waist bringing her to fall back against him in a most ungraceful way. Her feet moved to reposition themselves underneath her, but he held her firmly and she knew that he would not allow her to fall. "Minako?" He asked her simply. She turned to look up at him and into his eyes debating if it would be worth the effort of ignoring him and walking off again but decided against it sensing that his next reaction would not be nearly as friendly. With a nod of her head she indicated that she understood his words. He held her like this for a few seconds more, watching her closely as if he could see the emotions moving across her face. She could feel her heart beating against her chest as the look on his face softened and his hold on her began to loosen. He placed his hand on the small of her back and escorted her into the Palace as if it were a normal occurrence for them. She realized that this was probably the most physical contact that they had ever had and she absently started to think that having his arm around her had been rather comforting. Even the intimacy of his gesture now crossed her mind and she wondered if he realized what he was doing or if it was a reflex in case she decided to change her mind.

A servant greeted them at the entrance and escorted Minako off down the hall. She looked back at Kunzite, expecting to see him following her or at least waiting until she had disappeared from his sight, but instead saw that he was already gone. After walking down a long hallway and around several turns, she was brought into a room where she later found herself standing in front of several mirrors being fitted into a long white gown that she would soon be married in. She laughed silently to herself thinking that black would be a more appropriate color for that day, although she was sure that he would find no humor in the situation. He rarely found humor in anything it seemed.

The doors burst open and in rushed her cousin Serenity. Her cheeks flushed from running down the halls and her eyes were full of excitement. Minako, ignoring the pins that were so carefully placed on her dress, ran to Serenity and embraced her. Serenity was always so full of energy that it was hard not to be happy in her presence. It was Serenity's luck, Minako thought, that she was betrothed to the Prince who was considerably kinder and more gentle than the General she was to give herself to in a short time.

"Oh, Mina!" Serenity gushed. "I'm so happy to see you. I heard of your engagement to Kunzite and I wanted to see you sooner, but with my wedding approaching so quickly I haven't been able to stop by. Aren't you excited? He is such a handsome man and one of Endymion's favorites. You are a lucky woman, Minako. "

"Yes, I know, I've been told a time or two," Minako sighed then plastered on a smile and said "enough about me. Tell me more about your plans. I haven't seen you in what feels like forever."

Serenity couldn't contain her happiness at the thought of being married. "We can discuss that later. Tell me about you and Kunzite – are you happy? He's such a pleasure to be around when he comes to visit, which really isn't often enough, especially if you ask Endymion. It's about time he decided to stop being a loner. Endymion has been asking him to settle down for some time now and was pleased when he so willing agreed to marry you."

Mina couldn't help but to let out a snort. Was this really her Kunzite that her cousin was talking about? Could there be some confusion? Could there be another man with the same name? Realizing her mistake, her hand flew in front of her mouth and she stopped herself from making another sound.

"Minako," Serenity slowly asked "is something wrong?"

"No! Of course not, everything is fine. I just – well – I don't know what to make of everything. It's a lot. But you're right, I am lucky. I was afraid that we would be separated and never get to see each other again."

"My Lady, please, "the seamstress interrupted, "if I don't get back to work on this dress of yours then I will have my own problems to worry about with the Good General. I am already days behind on my work and it will take me time to re-pin your dress and to start sewing all the hems."

"I'm sorry, Mary, I wouldn't want you to get in trouble on my behalf. Let's finish up this dress. Serenity, please tell me more. We have a lot of catching up to do." Minako spent the next couple of hours listening to Serenity tell her stories of her time in court - some of the stories involving the man that would be her husband. Throughout she wondered who this man was that she resided with. Why had she never seen this side of him that was anything other than all the rumors had said? Maybe there was more to him than just his chilly exterior.

After her appointment with the seamstress, Minako wandered around the palace amazed by the beautiful artifacts that filled the halls. Thick intricately sewn carpets ran down in aisles on the floors while the walls displayed marvelous works of arts of beautiful women, members of the royal family and glowing landscapes. She heard the sound of muffled voices travelling through the hall and she stopped at the doorway that the voices appeared to be coming from. She recognized the voice of Kunzite, and by his addressing of the other person in the room, she gathered that it was Prince Endymion. She had met the Prince a few times since he had been courting her cousin for quite some time. Her impression of him had always been a good one. She had known right away that he was the perfect match for her cousin from the way he would look lovingly at her, and she knew that her cousin was never happier than when her parents accepted the Prince's proposal.

"My Prince –," Kunzite started, but was interrupted by Endymion. "Please, Kunzite – I will not have you address me so formally in private. We are friends and you are my most respected general, I value your opinion above all."

"Endymion, we need to discuss the security measures that will need to be set in place for your wedding day. There will be many people roaming freely around the Palace and we need to ensure the safety of both you and your Princess."

"Yes yes. We've discussed much of this already and we can discuss it more as the day approaches. But for now, tell me about Minako. How are things with you? After all your efforts in this kingdom I want to see you happy."

"Things are….well. Minako is meeting with the royal seamstress as Serenity requested. She insisted that their dresses be made by the same woman. Although to me a dress is a dress, I don't understand the silly fuss that these women must put into such trivial matters."

Endymion laughed heartily. "I wouldn't expect you to, my friend. There are some things about a woman that men will never understand. But tell me, how are you both getting on? To be honest I was afraid that you might choose that undesirable girl Catherine. A foolish woman she was to deceive you that way…."

The sound of a floorboard creaking caught Kunzite's ear as did the soft mumblings of woman's voice. Years of being on guard had trained him to be aware of even the slightest noises. "That was in the past and not something that needs to be remembered. I'm sure things with Minako will work out the way they are meant to. She is a smart woman, if not a bit troublesome at times."

Their conversation was cut short by a knocking on the door and in walked Minako without waiting for an acknowledgement. She knew Kunzite heard her, and she was even more sure that his comments were meant for her to hear more so than the Prince. "Your highness," Minako curtseyed.

"Please rise, Minako. I will not have my General using such formalities and neither will his future wife."

"You're too kind, Endymion. I apologize for keeping you waiting, Kunzite, but my appointment ran a little late. I fear Serenity has decided to take over the poor seamstresses job making alterations to my dress," she laughed nervously.

"That certainly sounds like my Serenity. There is never a dull moment with her. I will let you two be off now, it's getting late and you still have to make it back to your home. Although the offer is always open for you to stay here, you don't have to stay at your other estate so much of the time."

"That's quite alright my – Endymion," Kunzite corrected himself. "You have much planning to do and I wouldn't want myself or Minako to be in your way. We will be departing shortly." Kunzite cast a glance over to where Minako was standing. Taking her cue, she quickly agreed with her future husband.

Endymion smiled at Minako then turned to Kunzite. "I will be expecting you in the next couple of weeks and Serenity and I insist that you spend time here. I won't take no for an answer."

Minako spoke up a little too quickly, "we would be happy to stay here at the request of you and my cousin." 'Anywhere would be better than staying alone with him,' she thought to herself.

"Excellent. Now speaking of Serenity, I must find her. Safe journey."

"Thank you, my lord."

With that Endymion left the room. Kunzite looked to Minako and asked her if she was ready to return to his home. She nodded slowly and they headed out to the stables where the stable boys were ready with their horses. Kunzite placed his hands on her waist and effortlessly lifted her up to mount her horse then quickly jumped on his. The movement was so fluid Minako almost thought he had flown to his seated position. He looked back to see her staring at him. She smiled and looked down to her horse. 'Of all the times for him to catch me….' She thought to herself. Had she looked back up she might have noticed the telltale signs of a smile pulling at the corner of his mouth.

She looked so beautiful, he thought to himself. The way her dress flowed around her when he lifted her in the air, the soft peach color blending in with her fair skin and the way that she blushed ever so softly when he looked back at her. If only she weren't so stubborn and determined to have her way he might be able to control his anger around her. She just seemed to know how to hit all of his buttons and it took all of his strength to resist the urge to let her know just how hard she was hitting them.

They set off for the short ride back to his castle. Minako knew that she needed to approach him and talk about the impending nuptials and what that meant for the both of them. If his mood was right she would try tonight, otherwise this discussion would have to wait for another day when he was better suited to speak with. She had seen enough of his anger over the past few days and resolved to find that part of him that Serenity spoke so highly of.


	3. Chapter 3

1/22/09 - It's that revision time again.... Chapter 3 and 4 have both been edited and merged together. So the new chapter 4 is really the old chapter 5 and so on.

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Minako was lost in her thoughts for the reminder of the ride and was surprised to see her new home growing on the horizon. The ride back had been silent with the only sounds being those of the horses' hoofs hitting the ground and the idol talk of the guards who escorted them back. It was close to sun down when they returned and Minako was hardly surprised when he told her that he would train with his guards first and to have dinner without him if she wanted. How much training could he do every day, she wondered to herself? How much training could these guards take on a daily basis? As they approached the entrance to the castle Kunzite instructed one of the guards to see her safely inside while he and the remaining guards rode off towards the training grounds.

She watched them ride off, sighing to herself. 'Is it me that he's trying so hard to avoid?' she thought. 'We have barely exchanged words with each other in the few weeks that I've been here. Why would he negotiate with my father to marry me if he had no interest? Perhaps he was forced to by his Prince? I wonder if that's what I'm worth to him – another assignment – another order to complete – another conquest. Could he really be so cruel as to use me that way? I haven't seen him speak with the other women in his home and none have been to his quarters, not since my arrival anyway.'

"Do you need help dismounting?" Her thoughts were interrupted by the guard next to her.

"If you would be so kind," she said, flashing a smile at him. The guard was all too happy to oblige. He dismounted his horse and walked over to her, helping her to slide off the saddle. "What is your name so that I can thank you properly?" she inquired.

"It's Adonis, I am second in command to General Kunzite," he said bowing to kiss her hand.

Her eyes took in the sight of him, acknowledging how similar his uniform was to Kunzite's. Obviously he must hold some rank to be dressed so well. His uniform consisted of the same brown pants and knee length leather boots. Instead of the General's white shirt, his was a deep blue with silver piping. Adonis smiled at her and she could see his blue eyes light up with a hidden excitement as he stood to his full height, several inches taller than her, but still shy of meeting Kunzite's tall stature. His wavy blonde hair had a disheveled look to it as if he ran his fingers through it after rolling out of bed in the morning. He was handsome certainly, but there was a look in his eyes that gave her a feeling of apprehension. "Thank you, Adonis. I'll be sure to tell Kunzite how helpful you've been."

She attempted to pull her hand away but he squeezed it tighter not wanting to release her yet. "He's a fool you know."

"Should you be speaking of him that way, sir?" She wanted him to release her hand so that she could return to her room, not wanting to continue this conversation.

"If you were to be my wife, if I were to be so lucky and of such nobility, I would never send you off by yourself to be escorted back by some other man. I would never leave your side being so enchanted by your beauty."

"Thank you, Adonis, but perhaps I should go inside now…." He took a step closer to her, a space no more than 6 inches separating them. Again she tried to pull her hand back but he wouldn't release her. "I don't think your master would appreciate -."

"He only sees what he wants to, Minako, and he chooses not to see you."

His cool voice and the serious look in his eyes hit her like a wave of ice cold water. Does he really choose not to see her? It was an interesting choice of words, yet they seemed to describe her relationship with Kunzite quite well.

"Have we met before?" She searched his face for some sort of familiarity but found nothing.

"No, we have not."

"The way you look at me….it's as if you've known me."

"Adonis!" Kunzite's voice growled from across the stable. "Minako, I want you to go inside." He dismounted his horse and approached the couple.

She looked from Adonis to Kunzite and then back to Adonis again, realizing the compromising situation he had put her in. She pulled her hand back and looked to Kunzite, "it's my fault, I tripped and he was kind enough to catch me before I could hurt myself. The whole thing was so silly really. Imagine tripping over my own feet like some -."

"Enough, Minako! Adonis, I want you to head out to the training grounds now. I will not have dissention in my ranks. Is that understood?" Kunzite spoke to Adonis, but Minako could feel his eyes on her and she knew that this would not end well between them. Adonis looked to Minako, stepped back and bowed slightly before heading out of the stable leaving Kunzite and Minako alone.

"I'm sorry, it's not how it looked, Kunzite," she mumbled looking anywhere but at him.

He closed the distance between them and placed his hand under her chin, bringing her eyes to meet his. She flinched at his touch, not knowing what would be coming. Her reaction surprised him and he wondered how much he truly scared her. She had always seemed so strong and unafraid during their confrontations. At times he even questioned if maybe she was enjoying herself. "Minako…." He started, stumbling for words. "You should not allow yourself to be cornered like this. There are some people who will look to take advantage of you." Her gaze softened at his words, although his eyes still looked down on her, angry at what he had seen.

"I was only trying to thank him for his help."

"Then I would advise finding other ways to thank my men. "

"Are you suggesting what I think you are suggesting?" She asked, shocked that he would insinuate such a thing.

He let his hand fall from her face. "I can only tell you what it looked like, Minako. What would I have seen had I come in sooner or even a moment later?"

"Perhaps you wouldn't be asking me that question if you had simply escorted me in yourself instead of sending someone else to do your 'duty'." She could see the anger building on his face but she couldn't stop herself from continuing. "Tell me, does it make you more angry that one of your guards touched me or that others may talk about what they might have seen? It has always been about your reputation – making others believe that we might be the contented couple when really you would be just as happy to have me out of your sights."

"I have warned you time and time again to watch how you speak to me –"

"And you would do the same to watch your tone with me! My father may have sold me to you, but I will not sell myself to someone who has such disregard for me. I have tried to make the best of this situation yet you have done nothing to welcome me into your home. Why have you brought me here if you don't want me? I will not be locked up in some tower to be forgotten about." She took a step back and inhaled a deep breath to calm herself. When he didn't immediately respond she decided to bring an end to their encounter. "I grow tired of this argument. I will see myself in alone."

With a swish of her skirts she headed into the castle. He exhaled the breath he had been holding, his anger still getting the best of him. He hadn't meant to be so firm with her, but yet again she managed to get under his skin and he had never before dealt with a woman who hadn't succumbed to his will with a single look. He turned on his heel and headed out to the training grounds, his cape flapping with each brisk step.

Minako entered her room and shut the door, shaking with anger at their argument, but proud that she had responded to him. By all appearances she had won this round, but what would happen at their next encounter? She looked around her plush room that felt more like a prison than a place of rest. This was obviously one of the best rooms in his home yet she felt no comfort in this fact. The furniture was made of oak, and the cushions on the couch were covered with a soft gold cloth, embellishing the refined look. The couch was accompanied by two high backed chairs surrounding a small table that was meant for entertaining. Her favorite spot was the chaise in front of the window where she would sit for hours. Despite the luxury of the room, there was very little else. There were very few personal items of hers on display since it was only a matter of time before she and Kunzite would be married and she would be moving into his room. She felt fortunate that he did not force her to share his bed right away, instead allowing her to wait until their wedding day. Perhaps that's why he kept her around for so long - curiosity.

She left her room to walk around the castle, trying to work off some of her anger at the whole situation. It was only a matter of time till she was forced to confront him again and she needed to be ready to apologize for her actions and her harsh words. If her father had heard her talk back to her new master like that he would have torn into her and reminded her to act more like a lady and not like some commoner. 'Nobility has its price my dear Minako and we must pay it every day. No man will marry you if you show that you are anything less than the noble woman that you have been raised to be,' her father had drilled into her head. Well she wouldn't have minded not having a man to marry – not if it cost her the freedom that she craved. Kunzite was protective of her to the point that he would not allow her to interact with anyone of the opposite sex, not even the stable boy. Yet he would not show any real interest in her either. His mixed messages left her feeling confused and frustrated because she could not bring herself to hate him for his actions, yet she had a hard time trying to build a relationship with this man.

After a half hour of wandering the halls, she found herself stepping out onto a spacious balcony overlooking the training grounds. She watched as the figures below practiced their sword fighting – it was like a choreographed dance for these men having spent so much of their lives doing just this. Once she had heard that only the most elite soldiers were permitted to train under Kunzite. Now she could see why. She searched the group of men for one in particular and found him fighting off two different men at once. His concentration was fierce and unwavering as he fought to disarm the soldiers. At a closer inspection she recognized one of the individuals that he was sparring with – it was none other than Adonis. With what looked like minimal effort Kunzite was able to disarm one of his opponents leaving him to face off with Adonis. After a few minutes it seemed like this sparring match was becoming a much more intense battle of wills rather than a training exercise. Was Kunzite fighting for her – or was it for nothing more than his ego from what he saw in the stable earlier? Some of the other guards were stopping their matches to watch the two men, staring in awe at the skill both men welded with a sword. Then with a spin, a slice of the sword and a kick it was over. One man lay on the ground with the other man's sword to his neck.

'How savage,' Minako thought to herself. Couldn't there be a better way for these two men to settle this than to attack each other's egos with a sword? She continued to watch as Kunzite helped to pull Adonis to his feet and instructed him on a blocking maneuver. The two men working side by side allowed her to really compare the two. They were both very handsome in their own right, although she hated to admit it to herself, Kunzite stood out more to her than Adonis. His features were sharp and his body was much more defined under his general's uniform. Adonis's hair was cut much shorter and was a brilliant shade of blonde, much like her own color. He was a few inches shorter than Kunzite with nearly the same muscular build, but stood as though he were a foot taller. Interesting she thought to herself, that no matter how similar they may be physically, their personalities couldn't be more different. Kunzite regarded her with disinterest while Adonis had nothing but admiration. Were she not already promised to someone else she may have considered making good on Adonis's advances. She shook her head clearing her thoughts. 'Would I really? Perhaps I've just grown so lonely over the past couple of weeks that I would accept anyone's attention.'

Feeling that he was being watched, Kunzite turned toward the castle and saw Minako watching from the balcony. He turned back to continue training with his men. The workout made him feel better as he was able to work off his lingering anger. Beating Adonis had given him a sense of power – showing the younger man that he could not have what was already his.

Minako returned to her room later that evening after having walked around the grounds of the estate, going out even further than she normally would. During these walks were the few times that she didn't need to worry about formalities or forcing limited conversations to flow with the man who had ordered her presence but not her company. Once again pangs of loneliness began to tug at her and she contemplated taking a trip to the palace to see Serenity without bothering to tell Kunzite so that he would not convince her of otherwise.

As she stepped into the room, carefully shutting the door behind her, she noticed a single piece of paper, neatly folded, had been left on the table near the entrance. Hesitantly she reached for the paper and began unfolding it, already filled with dread over what the contents might be. Would he end this arranged marriage and tell her father that he no longer wanted to deal with her? She could already imagine the berating that would follow upon returning home. Without a doubt her father would press her to marry the Duke that she had already run away from once. Worse yet, maybe this was his last warning to her for compliance.

A slight tremble passed through her hands as she opened the note to display a few lines of neatly written text, her stomach suddenly heavy as she read the lines over again. She didn't know whether to assume the best or the worst based on his request. The paper slipped from her fingers as she crossed over to sit at the chair of her vanity.

Sometime later a brief knock at her door jolted her from her thoughts. She glanced out the window, noting the now nearly sun set, and realized that she had been lost in her thoughts for much longer than she had intended. The door quickly swung open and Rebecca stepped inside, her eyes looking over Minako's disheveled appearance.

"You're not ready yet?" She asked, crossing over to lift the blonde from where she was seated.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize how late it was," Minako said, brushing her hair behind her ear. "I'm ready." She could hear the sound of the other woman clucking at her under her breath. "Is there something wrong with my appearance?"

Rather than provide Minako with an answer, the middle-aged woman walked away and opened the doors to the wardrobe across the room. Without a word she began rummaging through the rack of dresses until her eyes finally settled on a gown of pale orange. She pulled the dress from its hanger and paused to haphazardly drop the dress on the bed on her way back towards the blonde haired girl. Minako frowned as the woman grabbed a brush off of the vanity and wordlessly started brushing her hair.

"Is this really necessary?" Minako asked. She attempted to turn to face the other woman, but Rebecca grabbed Minako's shoulders and spun her back to face the other way.

Rebecca heavily placed the brush on the vanity in exchange for the strands of golden colored ribbons left laying in a small box on the countertop. Her hands moved swiftly as she tied the ribbons around strands of blonde locks. "Necessary no," she sighed. "But something that you need to do none-the-less."

With a push against her back, Rebecca directed her over towards the bed and quickly started to unfasten the clasps at the back of Minako's dress peach dress. "Do you know what he wants?" the younger woman asked.

"Your company," Rebecca responded briskly as she assisted the blonde to step into the pale orange gown. "He said that he left you a note, did you not receive it? I'm going to have words with that girl if she failed to bring that note straight to your room…." Her last sentence trailed off and sounded more like an afterthought than something being directed at Minako.

Minako bit her lower lip for a moment, hesitating to respond. She slowly turned to face the older woman who stood a couple inches taller than her who frowned at not being able to finish closing the back of the dress. "I read his note, but it was vague at best. It said that he wanted to speak with me, although I'm not sure that the outcome will be a good one." She could faintly hear the sound of the other woman clucking her tongue under her breath again.

"You'll have to excuse him," Rebecca said, turning Minako around so that she could finish lacing the back of the corset style top. "He often assumes that others understand what he means to say even when he hasn't said anything at all. I don't know what conversation he has in mind, but his intent was to have you join him for dinner which is why you are changing."

"And what was wrong with what I had on earlier?"

"The honest answer or the polite one?"

"Honest."

"The bottom of your dress is dirty with mud – I can only guess that you were out by the lake earlier – not to mention the stain on the side from some saddle oil, and the faint scent that comes from having been in a stable." She paused as she pulled tightly on the corset strings, tying them into a knot. "I would not allow him to present himself looking that way and I won't allow you to either." Minako couldn't help but to laugh lightly at the response. Rebecca smiled as she tucked the dress strings into the folds of the material. "Everyone answers to someone. I suppose that it is a little unexpected that he would answer to me instead of the other way around. He's really not as harsh as he projects himself to be. I hope that you will give him the chance to show you his better side." Rebecca walked around Minako, inspecting her appearance while making small minute adjustments to the way the dress rested against the younger woman's body.

The dress hung loosely from Minako's shoulders, the long sleeves completely open on the sides held together by decorative straps just above and below her elbows allowing the material to fall open and expose her wrists. A matching sash tied around the high waistline, the ends flowing down the back of the dress. The lengths of the material pooled out in layers spilling around her feet, which had been adorned in matching colored sandals.

"Perfect," Rebecca murmured. "We really need to go now. We're late as it is and punctuality is very important to him."

"He's going to call off this marriage," Minako blurted out, unable to stop herself. "I can't go back to my father's home. Not like this."

Rebecca looked at her strangely and then laughed off the comment. "I can assure you that if anyone was going to be sent away from here it would be me for pointing out his bad habits to him. He wouldn't take the trouble to ask you to sit down for a meal, he's not that cruel – or perhaps he's not that kind. Either way, we still need to go." She gently placed her hand on Minako's back and led her from the room. "If you don't mind my asking, why do you think that he would suddenly decide to un-arrange a betrothal that had been arranged by the Prince?"

"He seems like he's always angry with me and I think he would be happier to not have me around."

"It's not you that he's angry with," Rebecca said consolingly. "He was in a bad situation just before you arrived and it's unfortunate that this marriage couldn't have been arranged sooner."

"Did it have something to do with Catherine?" Minako asked softly, noticing that the woman next to her seemed to pause and miss a step before quickly resuming her pace.

"She was a small part of it, but there were other things happening in the kingdom that forced him to be away from here for extended amounts of time."

"Who is she?"

"He has ordered - asked," Rebecca corrected herself, "to not speak her name around here which is fine with me as she was not someone whose company anyone seemed to enjoy. She was a terrible woman who wronged a good man and I for one say good riddance to her."

"Is that the type of woman that he wants to be involved with?"

"Everyone is entitled to a mistake from time to time. He allowed himself to be distracted by her beauty and ignored everything else that was wrong with her. Although she was a smart woman and she made sure that he only saw what he wanted to see. He never saw how cruel she was."

"Did he love her?"

Rebecca hesitated again and this was not missed by Minako, although both women were thinking very different things at that moment. It wasn't that he loved her as Minako thought, it was that Rebecca couldn't bring herself to tell the young girl that she had never witnessed him ever being in love with anyone. "He did not love her, I can tell you that much," Rebecca finally answered. "He is dedicated to his responsibilities and often doesn't see much more than that."

"Adonis said that Kunzite doesn't see me at all," Minako responded.

"Stay away from him," Rebecca said sternly. "He was always a good boy, someone that you could trust, but something hasn't been right with him for some time now."

"I think I made Kunzite angry by talking with him. He seemed well intentioned enough, although perhaps a little more forward than he should have been. Can you tell me about him?"

"I don't think I should answer any more questions," Rebecca said suddenly.

"I'm sorry," Minako said, realizing that her curiosity had probably come across as interest in the man. "It's just that we were introduced today and the way that he and Kunzite spoke to each other seemed off."

"Adonis has been away for several weeks. He only returned a few days ago from where ever it was that he had gone off to. I'm sure you will come to know him very quickly as he is rarely ever far from Kunzite's side." The two women walked in silence as they travelled the remaining distance to Kunzite's room, pausing outside the door. "Do try to give him a chance." Rebecca pushed the door open and ushered Minako into the room, not allowing the younger woman to comment further.

Minako had been in the front room of his quarters before when she first arrived, but never any further than that. She glanced around and noticed that there were four doors leading out of the hall; three of the doors were closed, and she thought to herself that he must be behind one of them. Rebecca showed Minako into the room with the open door where a table had been set for dinner. She looked around taking in everything around her. The room was lightly furnished with two padded high-backed chairs with a small table between them facing a fireplace. Further back behind the chairs sat an intimate sized table where their dinner had been set. A thick square of plush carpet embroidered with striking designs covered most of the hardwood floor, giving the room a warmer feel. Around the fireplace rested a large oak mantle taking up the majority of the wall as the main source of heat for the room. Along the adjacent walls hung some paintings similar to those she had seen in the Palace and a tapestry depicting a medieval design. Her eyes were brought back to the fireplace where she noticed a particularly bright painting hanging high above the mantle. She approached the fireplace to inspect the artwork further and was amazed by the beauty the painter was able to bestow with his paintbrush. Within the frame was a depiction of a blonde haired woman kneeling at the edge of the ocean. She seemed to be sans clothing, although her long hair framed her body as if to cover her nudity. The woman's eyes were haunting and her features were strikingly beautiful as she seemed to be looking at the painter with a backwards glance. It was almost as if the artist had managed to stop time long enough to capture this image before the girl would disappear. But why would she think that about the woman? Where might she be going and where did she come from? Who was she to have such a look in her eyes? What secret lay behind them? The whole effect of the picture was captivating and Minako felt an urge within herself to reach out and touch the canvas in a vain effort to make physical contact with this striking beauty. Instead she twirled some of her own long golden locks between her fingers feeling as though it was something that connected her to the woman.

Rebecca excused herself and headed for the main door. As she was about to exit she saw Kunzite exiting from his bedroom into the main hall. She curtseyed to him and said, "Minako is waiting for you in the sitting room."

"Thank you, Rebecca. That will be all for tonight." He headed towards the sitting room where dinner had been set up, but was stopped by Rebecca placing her hand on his arm. "Try being kinder to her, she is a lovely girl and afraid of what you think of her."

"That will be all, Rebecca," he said firmly, knowing that she meant well. She shot him a look that was a mixture of part warning, part annoyance. His lips pulled into a half smile in response and he waited until she had left before proceeding in to see Minako.

The sight of her momentarily took his breath away. He took in every detail of her profile, noticing how striking she looked tonight as she stared intently at the painting hanging on the wall above the mantle. Her hands where clasped tightly in front of her and her lips were slightly parted. He ran his tongue lightly over his lips, thinking about how it would feel to capture hers with his own, but he stopped his thoughts from proceeding any further than that lest he allow himself to be caught up in his own fantasies for the rest of the night.

"That is my most prized possession – that is Aphrodite, the goddess of love," he said approaching her slowly. 'Don't scare her away,' he chastised himself as her head quickly turned to face him, her eyes wide with surprise. "This is said to be a true reflection of her image, although I don't believe that something so powerful can be caught on any canvas."

"My Lord, I didn't realize that you were right behind me." She dipped her head in a polite bow to him, taking the opportunity to look away and to stop herself from blushing. He had obviously just bathed, by the way that his hair was still damp and the hint of moisture that glistened on his tanned skin. His General's shirt was unfastened and hanging open with his sleeves rolled up to his elbows allowing her a glimpse of his finely defined chest and sculpted arms. She spun back around to look once again at the painting to stop herself from openly staring at him any further. "She looks so sad, almost like she has a secret, or carries too much weight on her shoulders."

"She carries the weight of everyone's love without ever finding her own. I find myself staring at this portrait for hours sometimes, just taking in the image."

"She's beautiful. I can see why you want to watch her."

"The picture reminds me of you."

"You're too kind," Minako said softly, embarrassed by his subtle compliment. "I feel as though I pale in comparison."

He stepped closer to her and placed his hands on her arms. "Not in this light. Please Minako, have a seat." He carefully took her by the arm and brought her to the table where he pulled out her chair for her and lingered for a moment enjoying the fresh floral scent that seemed to surround her before moving to sit across from her. He could sense her apprehension and wanted nothing more than to touch her hand to let her know that she was safe around him. But whether she would take that as he intended was another matter. "Do you know why I asked you to come here tonight?"

She took a drink from her glass. "No, I don't, my Lord."

"You don't need to be so formal with me."

"My apologies."

His body tensed at her dry response. Despite the pleasant tone of her voice, it was obvious that she was voicing her displeasure with him - not that it wasn't completely deserved, not after the way he had lost his temper with her a few nights earlier. "I wanted to spend some time with you. You've been here for a few weeks now and we've exchanged so few words."

"I'd say there have been more than a few…." She said with an almost astringent sound to her voice.

"You know what I mean, Minako," he sighed, "We're going to be married soon and we should discuss our arrangement."

"I see."

Kunzite frowned and tapped his fingers heavily on the tabletop. "You assume to know what I want?"

"No, I wouldn't do that." She paused to take a drink from the wineglass in front of her. "I would assume that you would just do what you willed whenever you chose to."

It took a great deal of effort to not react to her words. "I apologize for the unwarranted kiss," he replied, although by his tone he even had a difficult time believing his words. This was perhaps the first time that he had ever been in a position making this type of apology. With most women his attention was practically demanded among other things, but with Minako it was all but. "Although that's not the only thing bothering you is it? You don't trust me do you?" She looked down at the glass of wine still held in her hand, watching as the fluid lightly swirled around its enclosure. "I would have thought that you would realize I didn't have any negative intentions by allowing you to have your own room and giving you time to adjust to your new surroundings."

"Was that your intention?" she asked, her eyebrows arching slightly as she looked up at him. "You've left me in isolation is what you have done. There is nothing here that I wish to stay for. You have managed to avoid me at every opportunity and berated anyone who has dared to attempt to make conversation with me. My cousin tells me stories of a man who bears the same name as you, although I'm hard pressed to believe that they are the same person." She paused to place her glass on the table, noticing that her hand was shaking slightly; perhaps it had never truly stopped from earlier. "Your reasons for marrying me may be your own, but there is no reason that we should pretend to be what we are not."

"And I suppose I can't convince you that I have other intentions?" he asked, his fingers still drumming lightly on the table.

"How will you convince me?"

"Through my actions just as I hope that you will convince me of your intentions through the same."

"If you can't trust me to not have relations with every man that I encounter then I'm not sure that I can convince you of anything."

"I didn't mean to insinuate anything," Kunzite said firmly. "I know Adonis and I know his intentions. When I saw him standing so close to you, I couldn't stop myself from reacting like that towards him. It's not you that I intended to accuse of anything."

"I pride myself on my honor and that I haven't chosen to have indiscretions with random men, or any for that matter." She rose from her seat and looked down at the cool expression he wore on his face. "I'm not going to stay a prisoner here in your home until you decide whether or not you are going to marry me. You don't seem to want my company and I don't expect that to change despite the circumstance."

As Minako moved to walk away from the table, Kunzite quickly reached out and grabbed her wrist, stilling her before she could put any distance between them. Her words had done what she intended and had reached him. "Sit," he ordered her, receiving a cool glare in response. "Please," he corrected himself. When she remained standing he rose to meet her gaze, now standing several inches taller than her. "I would like to have your company now. If you would please sit down we can finish our dinner." She turned her gaze to look at the food set out on the table before looking back upwards into his eyes. "I really don't mean you any harm and I'm sorry if I made you think that something was wrong by inviting you up here tonight. I just wanted us to have a chance to talk without any interruptions and I'm afraid that with the constant ensuing chaos around here, this is the only place where we can be alone." Minako continued to watch him through wary eyes not yet responding. "If you'd like to go, I understand," he said calmly, releasing his hold on her wrist that he forgot had been clasped in his hand. "I won't make you stay here if you're not comfortable, but I'd like you to stay."

Minako didn't understand why she suddenly felt the way that she did, nor would she ever understand what suddenly propelled her to act the way that she did. Maybe it was the genuine look in his eyes, or maybe it was the way that his gaze had softened for perhaps the first time that she could remember. Whatever it was, it took over her mind and made her take a step closer to him, her hand rising to land on the warm skin of his abdomen. She could feel his body tensing under her touch, the hardened muscle contracting. Another step brought her even closer to him and she rose up on the tips of her toes to place a single kiss over soft lips. She moved back a step, allowing her hand to linger on his chest where her fingers had travelled to without her noticing.

Kunzite watched her closely waiting for her to make the next move. He could feel his body tensing as he held himself from taking a step closer towards her. Of all the scenarios that had run through his mind for tonight, this one had never even held a place in his thoughts. He had been very aware of her warm hand sliding up his chest and now that her hand was slowly being withdrawn he found the contact to be maddening. If she were any other woman he would pulled her in for another kiss, but he knew that his actions would only cause her to retreat further away from him and he would have to start over again trying to convince her that he wasn't a man lacking control over his own actions. How ironic that his mind allowed him to believe his thoughts while his body told another story. Instead he waited for her to make a move, watching her as she looked at him cautiously – maybe even a bit curiously.

"I just needed to know," she finally spoke, her voice coming out raspy as she cleared her throat.

He nodded his head even though he didn't really understand what she meant. He missed having contact with her and against his better judgment reached out and ran his thumb over her cheek. "I suppose now we're even."

For a moment she just stared at him with those same wide, blue, curious eyes before breaking out in a peal of laughter. It wasn't even that his comment had been so humorous, but it had broken the moment of tension and she felt relieved that he let her kiss go by without further ado. Although at the same time she couldn't say that she didn't enjoy the feel of being against him. He was an extremely handsome man with a tall, lean, muscular build – it was only natural that she would feel some sort of attraction to him – or any woman for that matter. It was that combined with his friendlier demeanor that allowed her to suddenly relax around him.

They looked at each other for a moment more before she took a step further back from him, afraid that he might think her to be too eager and afraid that she herself may actually be eager enough to step forward and reclose the distance she had put between them. He smelled faintly like soap and the scent remained in her mind as she could still feel the weight of his lips on her own.

Kunzite gestured for her sit again, but she shook her head saying that she wasn't really hungry. She found herself surprised when he reciprocated that thought and started wondering if dinner was just a rouse for the night's events. Immediately she chastised herself thinking that someone like him wouldn't became as bothered as she by just a kiss.

Rather than sit back down at the table, Kunzite picked up their glasses and the wine bottle and walked over to the two high-backed chairs placed in front of the fireplace. Minako followed after him and seated herself on the chair to the right. They exchanged a few words, gradually slipping into a light conversation. They didn't talk about anything that was too much of a personal nature, but the dialogue stayed pleasant and she found herself enjoying his subtle humor. He seemed accessible for the first time since her arrival at his home making her feel at ease in his presence.

At some point she started to feel warm in the room from the heat radiating from the fireplace and he led her out of the room, telling her that they would go sit outside. She felt that the fresh air would help her clear her thoughts and so eagerly agreed. As they walked out of the room, his hand found its way to the small of her back as he ushered her towards one of the closed doors. Maybe it was because of how much she had had to drink, but she found herself leaning closer to him, breathing in the lingering scent of fresh soap.

His hand reached out to open the door for her and in the darkness she could make out that they were about to step into a bedroom – more importantly his bedroom. She stopped at the doorway and looked around at her surroundings. His room was spacious with a large canopied bed centered against the far wall so that it overlooked the balcony. There was an oak wardrobe against the wall opposite the bed, and a sizable desk catty corner that was flush against the wall in front of one of the sizeable windows. On the wall by the door a large crest had been hung, isolated from any other objects in the room, crossed by two ornate swords.

Kunzite pressed lightly against her back and she entered the room, her eyes fixating themselves on the bed. He smiled reassuringly at her and they moved forward towards the open french doors of the balcony to emerge outside in the cool summer night air. She smiled at the sight laid out before her and walked towards the edge of the balcony, her hands coming to rest on the stone ledge as she leaned forward. Directly below she could see the gardens that surrounded the backside of the castle as well as the lake that she often went for walks around. In the distance the turrets of the Palace towers were visible, with the lights of the Palace illuminated the horizon. Minako turned back to look at Kunzite, noticing that he stood with his back pressed against the wall, arms crossed at his chest as he watched her. "Are you afraid of heights?" she asked teasingly. She could hear the deep rumble of his laughter in his chest just before he pushed himself away from the wall to stand near her.

"Heights are the last thing that I am afraid of," he said.

"Then what are you afraid of?"

She had expected a serious look to cross his features but instead he maintained the same teasing smile and responded without hesitation. "Being taken advantage of by a woman half my size."

"Funny," she murmured, turning her attention back to the skyline. Her hair slipped over her shoulder, spilling like gold over the edge of the railing and she could feel Kunzite's hand brushing the strands back towards safety. "Things are going to be different now."

"Things needed to change," Kunzite agreed, keeping his tone low. "We had a bad start together and I want to fix that." He turned her to face him and brushed his hand over her cheek, watching as her eyes fluttered closed. Without further hesitation he leaned forward and kissed her lightly, his lips brushing softly over hers. When he felt her lean into him he deepened the kiss, gently parting her lips with his own and feeling slightly surprised when he felt the tip of her tongue dance across his lower lip. She didn't hold back from him and he gladly indulged himself in her affections. He slowly broke away from her, leaving a trail of kisses on her cheek. "You look beautiful," he murmured in her ear.

Minako thought about how to respond, thinking that maybe she would thank him for his compliment and look to him for another kiss rather than break the moment. He looked at her contentedly, watching as she chewed her lower lip, something amusing obviously passing through her mind. She slipped out of his arms and started telling him about how Rebecca had dressed her and the other woman's comments over her prior appearance, earning a chuckle from him from time to time much to her satisfaction. She didn't know how long they remained out there on the balcony talking over glasses of wine, but she had a faint remembrance of the night air becoming cooler as the moon moved further and further across the sky.


	4. Chapter 4

01/22/09 - Not too many revisions here - but I did cut out a decent amount of dialogue.

11/04/07 - This chapter has some of the biggest changes. (Can anyone notice...?)

Authors' Notes: Let me know what you think and review! Reviews start to become an addicition, you can't have just one!  
Thanks to those that already reviewed!

* * *

Minako awoke in the morning with strong arms wrapped around her; the sun barely visible on the horizon. Her eyes slowly opened as she looked around realizing that she wasn't in her room. She panicked for a moment trying to remember what happened last night when she recognized where she was - Kunzite's room. A dull ache in her head reminded her of how much she had had to drink last night and wondered when exactly she had fallen asleep. Had she fallen asleep leaning against him? She could faintly remember him walking her to a bed so that she could lay down – funny that it didn't occur to her what a short distance they travelled.

She turned her head and looked at his sleeping face. His breathing was soft and even and his features seemed so gentle. Is it possible that just a few short hours ago she had fought so fiercely with him only to find herself wrapped in his arms now?

Careful not to wake him, she slowly unwrapped herself from his grasp and slipped out of the room. As quietly as possible she pulled the door shut behind her before heading back towards her own room hoping that she would be able to make it back without being noticed. She turned her head back one last time glancing in the direction of his quarters and was quite startled when she bumped into someone as she turned to look forward again. She bowed her head and began making apologies only to look up to see Adonis's smiling face.

"My Lady, you look lovely today. I'm surprised to see you so early this morning in this hallway, so close to his quarters. Is everything alright?"

"Why would anything be wrong?"

"I'm just surprised to see you at this early hour, especially here of all places." She could see a sadness hidden behind his eyes.

"If you are trying to insinuate something I would ask that you come out with it and say it."

"I would never suggest such a thing of you. It's him that I am ever mindful of. He has a way with words that you need to be mindful of."

"I'm fine. I'm just up early is all," she said, choosing not to elaborate any further.

"I see. Then may I walk with you?" he asked, offering his arm to her.

"Actually I was just on my way back to my own room."

"That's only a short walk away then, come." He put his arm through hers and they walked back towards her room. She wondered to herself why was he so interested in what she was doing. He had been kind to her in both their meetings, but did he want something more from her? She laughed at herself. Of course he couldn't, he knew that she was to marry Kunzite, why would he expect anything more? What she found to be truly disconcerting was why he was concerned for her. What did he know about Kunzite that she did not?

They arrived at her door and he unraveled his arm from hers, running his hand down her arm and catching some of her hair in the process. She shivered at his touch. His hand ran down to hers and he brought it to his mouth, placing a soft kiss on the backside along her knuckles. "So perfect," he spoke softly and moved to stand closer to her.

Her throat suddenly felt dry by his proximity and she nervously licked her lips, reaching behind her to open the door to her room.

The bright light began to invade her vision as she struggled to keep her eyes closed. Her head throbbed and the daylight was not making her feel any better. She made a weak attempt to pull the blankets over her face only to have them pulled back down by a hand that was not her own.

"Miss Minako," Rebecca shook her carefully, "it's time to get up. Do you know how late in the day it is? There is much to be done today and I need to get started with washing your blankets."

"Where am I…?" Minako mumbled, barely audible.

"In your room misses – where else would you be?"

Minako smiled to herself as she sat up ignorant to the tangles of her hair, remembering the feel of his arms around her. "Nowhere, Rebecca, there is nowhere else I would be." She pried her eyes open and flinched by the bright light pouring in through the open window. She put her head in her hands, the tell tale signs of a hangover glossing over her thoughts. 'I will not drink like that again,' she thought to herself.

"So how was your dinner last night? You seem like you're in a good mood, I'm assuming that he was on his best behavior for once."

"Dinner was good, and he was very polite."

"Good. I told him last night to be anything other than his normal charming self. I'm glad he listened."

Minako couldn't help but to laugh at her assessment of the General. "You are bad, Rebecca."

"He is in desperate need of a woman to clean him up. He's been a bachelor for so long that I'm afraid he has become a bit feral in his ways and I am too old to keep reminding him of his bad habits. He's not really as terrible as he will tell you he is. I think he just forgot what it's like to be touched by someone who loves him."

"Rebecca! It's a little too soon to start talking about love. We had one meal together last night and I don't even know that it meant anything to him."

"I've already seen him this morning and his foul mood seems to have subsided."

"Really?"

"You should see him for yourself. There has definitely been some improvement. You will be a good influence on him, I can tell."

"That's sweet of you to say, Rebecca. I think we all want to see him happy. Now I must take a bath, hopefully the hot water will help to clear my aching head."

"I've already run a hot bath for you ma'am, just go on in."

Minako got out of bed and hugged her. "You are too good to me. I'll let you get back to your work now."

Kunzite awoke shortly after Minako had left that morning to find himself alone. His hand reached out to where she laid with him last night feeling for her lost warmth. It couldn't have been a dream having her laying with him, could it? They had spent hours together sitting on the balcony drinking and talking until she fell asleep resting against him. She looked so peaceful, and he knew he should have brought her back to her own room, but he was exhausted himself and didn't want to walk the halls carrying her. He carefully picked her up and laid her to rest on his bed, sitting next to her, idly playing with some strands of her hair. Thoughts started to race through his mind, he wanted her – she knew that, but he also knew that he couldn't have her. Not after having drank as much as they did. He debated with himself as to whether he should lay with her or if he should sleep on the couch in his study. The wine made his thoughts fuzzy and he struggled with making his decision, and at last he decided that he would leave her alone for the night – that's what she would have wanted. With his resolve set he leaned forward on the bed to kiss her forehead. Her eyes fluttered and she grabbed his hand and sleepily asked him to hold her. She looked so beautiful laying there with her hair fanned out around her and in a dress that he was sure had been made just for her, that he couldn't help himself. He laid down next to her with his arms around her and fell asleep himself.

For a few minutes more he just laid there thinking of their close contact from last night. He ran his hand over her pillow and discovered a ribbon that had been left behind. He smiled to himself knowing that it couldn't have been a dream after all. She must have woken before he did and left to go back to her room before the rest of the castle staff awoke. A chuckle escaped through his lips as he thought about how no other woman he had been with before was so cautious over her reputation. It was a good change he started thinking to himself. All too soon though he realized that he would have to let his thoughts of his blonde beauty elude him for a while longer while he attended to his other responsibilities.

Later that morning Kunzite met with his soldiers for their morning training. As they practiced they couldn't help but to notice his improved mood and how he wasn't pushing them through their drills as hard as he normally would. His mind was otherwise distracted by a certain blonde, which was much appreciated by the men who fought in the high heat of the summer. After a couple of hours he dismissed them from their training, eager to see Minako again. As he watched the departing men he noticed that something hung from Adonis's sword. It caught the light and he realized that it was a piece of material from Minako's dress, not unlike the ribbon that was left in his bed this morning. His eyes narrowed wondering how Adonis might have acquired this treasure that should have only belonged to him.

He followed Adonis back to the castle and called for him to stay back while the other men began to disperse, some preparing for their afternoon duties and others heading for their homes to the north of Kunzite's property. Kunzite approached Adonis and withdrew Adonis's sword from its sheath, ramming the tip of the blade into the ground as he balanced the sword with his palm resting on the pommel. Staring Adonis down he asked about the ribbon that was so carefully tied to this sword. "Would you care to explain this?"

"It is a favor from a lady. She asked me to tie it to my sword so that I would always remember who I fight for."

Kunzite was not satisfied with this answer. "You fight for your Prince, Adonis, and not some woman."

"Perhaps you do, Kunzite, but I fight for love."

"And whose love is it that you fight for today, Adonis? Is this still about your mystery woman who was never seen again?"

"Does it matter? Is love not love, regardless of who is involved?"

"It matters to me and that's all that should matter to you." He pulled off the piece of ribbon. "I know who this belongs to; now tell me where you got it from."

"It was a gift from the Lady herself. I can still remember the soft smell of her perfume and the touch of her hair. She really is so beautiful that it's a shame that she is going to be your downfall."

"You will watch how you speak of Minako."

"Do you not see it already? You're distracted, your mind was not with the men this morning and I'm sure your thoughts were not of protecting the Prince."

Kunzite pulled Adonis's sword from the ground and swung it up to Adonis's neck, stopping as the blade rested against his flushed skin. Adonis did not flinch, instead standing his ground. "Consider yourself warned, Adonis. I will not be so tolerant of your talk. Your place is below me, and I would think that after our previous discussions you would have realized that. Unless you are choosing to forgo your title and rank, I would suggest that you refrain from further contact with my fiancée." With that he dropped Adonis's sword to the ground and proceeded into the castle. Adonis growled lightly in response and angrily reached down to pick up his sword as he stared after Kunzite's retreating back.


	5. Chapter 5

Normal disclaimer...thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far. Please keep it up and let me know what you think (good or bad).

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Minako sat alone in the sunroom on the east side of the castle humming contentedly to herself as her fingers deftly worked at the cross stitch pattern held firmly in her hands. A smile had graced her lips from the moment she had awoken this morning as she thought about how things wouldn't be so bad here now that she and the General had found some common ground. Serenity insisted that Kunzite was a good man, and her cousin had always been a good judge of character. She only needed to step back and allow them both time to grow into this new relationship. 'Could she love him?' she pondered. He was certainly handsome, and he made her body respond in a way that made her doubt her own self-control, but he still hadn't made his feelings or intentions clear to her. What did he want from her? He has undeniably been described as a womanizer, why would he be any different to her? What made her unlike any of the others?

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of shouting in the hallway.

"Rebecca, get out of my way!"

'Kunzite?' Minako looked up from her sewing towards the door, biting her lower lip nervously. Her curiosity was peaked and she strained to listen to the remaining words being shouted in the hallway.

"I will not let you talk to her when you are this way!" Rebecca responded just as angrily.

'Why is Rebecca so angry with him?' Minako wondered, noticing the footsteps approaching momentarily stopped as Kunzite's angry voice rose up again.

"I am not going to tell you again, Rebecca. Go back to your chores or so help me I will deal with you now."

"Oh will you? And what is it going to be? Will you send me away from here? It wouldn't be the first time that you threatened me. I've been around long enough that I am not afraid of you or your words."

"Today I mean them." His words were spoken with a finality that halted Rebecca's verbal protests from continuing.

Just as quickly the words floating in from the hallway ended and she stood up from her seat to approach the door. As she reached for the doorknob she was nearly thrown back as the door was flung open then quickly closed by Kunzite.

"You, Minako, have some explaining to do." He grabbed her by the arm and spun her against the wall.

"You're hurting my arm," she looked at him pleading with her eyes to let her go. He only squeezed harder until she felt like it would break under the pressure. "Please-!"

"Was I wrong to trust you?" he spat.

"I really don't know what you're talking about."

"Think about it, Minako."

"Is this still about Adonis?" she asked incredulously. "You can't really still be angry about him. I thought we had put that incident behind us last night."

"Tell me, why does your name keeping rolling off his tongue? He has said some things about you that I find rather unsettling."

"I don't care what lies you claim he's told you about me." She could feel her arm pulsing from the power of his grip. "Please let go." Tears were starting to pool in her eyes.

"He is many things, Minako, but he's not a liar. What did you do with him? Is that where you were this morning?"

"I was alone in my room this morning, Rebecca can attest to that. I wanted to leave before everyone else woke up to find me sneaking out so that no one would start making accusations about what we might have done last night. I don't know what this has to do with-"

"It has to do with everything, Minako. Why did he have this from you? Was this your gift to him? Were you trying to rub my face in it?" He brought the ribbon to her face before throwing it off to the side where it fluttered to the floor forgotten.

"I don't know how he got that. It must have fallen out of my hair. Why do you find him to be so troublesome? Is it because he's been kind to me that he bothers you?"

"You are the one that has been nothing but trouble for me. You distract me and I can't have you doing that. You will move into my room with me so that I won't have to worry about any of these early morning rendezvous' between the two of you."

"I will not. We agreed that I would have my own room until we were married, you will not go back on that promise."

"I don't care about my promises anymore!" he barked. "You have been the subject of too much talk lately and I will no longer tolerate it. Go and pack up your things, I want you moved in by dinnertime and I won't hear anything more from you about this. I warned you, Minako, I am everything that people say I am and I have never pretended to be anything else. Do not cross me again. Is that understood?"

She bit back the tears threatening spill from her eyes. "I understand," she whispered.

"Good." He ripped open the door and pulled Minako through with him to find Rebecca standing out in the hallway waiting anxiously. He threw the blonde into the older woman's arms. "Make sure she's ready by tonight." With that he was gone down the hall, his cape unfurling behind him.

"I don't understand what I did, Rebecca," Minako began to cry, falling to her knees. Rebecca kneeled down and wrapped her arms around her comfortingly. "Why is he so angry?"

"He does that sometimes," she said smoothing the younger girl's hair. "He can be harsh, but you have to let those moments pass before you can get to his good ones. Don't worry, Mistress, he will calm down and then you can try talking to him again."

"What a horrible man he keeps trying to prove himself to be."

"Please don't give up on him. If you had seen him this morning you would understand. He was truly happy."

"So is that the cost? His happiness in exchange for mine?"

"Come on, let's get you packed up. No need to make him even angrier than he already is."

"Maybe if he is angry enough he will send me away from here."

"No, he would do so much worse to you. I would not advise making him any angrier. Just do as he says, please."

Rebecca walked Minako back to her room and helped her to pack up her few personal items and her clothing. Just short of dinnertime, as promised, some of the servants came into her room to move her things. Rebecca sat with her while everything was moved out before personally escorting Minako to Kunzite's room. As they walked in Minako was relieved to find that he wasn't there. She allowed the servants to unpack her things then she asked to be left alone. This was to be her new room, she kept telling herself. So then why did she feel such a sense of foreboding? She walked out to the balcony where they had spent so much time together the previous night and sat down on the floor of the cool stone. She looked through the slats of the stone balcony out towards the water, past the garden and saw Kunzite walking along the shoreline with his sword out, sometimes stopping to spar against an imaginary enemy. He moved fluidly like water, wielding his sword like it was a part of him. Those hands that had been so gentle as they held her last night were capable of such deadly things. She didn't know how to feel about him. Perhaps he was telling her the truth that he was all the terrible things that she had heard. But then why show her this other side of him last night? What was the point?

She walked back into his room and looked at his bed. Could she sleep with him every night knowing that she couldn't love him? Would he look to take advantage of her now that she was forced to sleep in the same bed as him? She laid down on his bed and pulled the silky covers over her. It felt cold and unwelcoming, not at all warm and soft as it did when she woke up this morning. 'Stop it, Minako,' she scolded herself. 'You must forget that last night happened, you have to stop thinking that there was almost something….' That was her last thought as she drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

Kunzite walked into his room later that evening having exhausted most of his anger. He hadn't meant to be so harsh with her – he never did, and he certainly didn't mean to hurt her. He could see the tears in her eyes, but he couldn't stop himself. How would she respond to him now? It was like starting all over again, but what else could he do? He wanted to know that he could trust her, but he knew that he couldn't lock her away in his room forever – he needed to know how Adonis got that ribbon. Did she really give it to him? Was there something going on that he needed to know about? Perhaps she was working with Adonis to overthrow him as Endymion's top general. Did he think that he could so easily replace him with three other generals already in place? The whole thing seemed ludicrous to him. 'You've been doing this for too long, Kunzite,' he thought to himself. 'You're getting paranoid.'

He approached the bed and sat down next to Minako, smoothing her hair away from her face. "Minako, wake up my beautiful Minako."

"Kunzite…." She whispered, her eyes not opening.

"It's time to wake up."

She slowly opened her eyes, blinking a few times before rubbing her eyes with her hand. Realizing where she was she pulled the blanket tighter around herself. "What time is it?" she asked.

"It's nearly 8. Have you eaten yet today?" he inquired, the concern evident in his voice.

"No, I haven't."

"I'll call for Rebecca and ask her to bring up something. We can eat together."

"I'm not very hungry." She turned to roll over, but was stopped when he put his hand on her arm. She whimpered in pain and pulled back from him.

"I hurt you didn't I?"

"Please, I'm fine. I just wish to be alone."

"Let me see your arm." She didn't resist him as he pulled her into a sitting position, nor when he tugged the sleeve of her dress off her shoulder and down her arm, coming precariously close to exposing her breast. A large bruise in the shape of his handprint was left on her arm, and he flinched internally that he had done that to her. "Minako, I'm sorry. Please forgive me."

"It's not that bad, really," she said, sliding the material back over her arm.

"It is that bad, Minako, I didn't mean to hurt you. There is no excuse for what I've done, it's unforgivable."

She looked up at him, her eyes glassy from crying earlier. "One moment you're telling me that I am the most important thing to you and the next you're pushing me away, accusing me of doing terrible things. My father has sold me to you and there is nothing that I can do about it. You apparently have no intention of letting me go, although I have the feeling that you have other darker intentions for me."

"Is that what you think? That I will use you to fulfill my own desires and then dispose of you so quickly?" he asked incredulously. Her words cut through him and he knew that he had no one else to blame but himself for building the reputation that he had. "If I simply desired a mistress than that is what I would have had. It would have been a lot less troublesome." He placed his hand over hers, holding her fingers against his palm. "I only want to protect you."

"I see," she answered mockingly. "You will protect my reputation around your home by destroying it with one single night in your bed? Do you honestly believe that leaving me with no other option than to sleep with you will make things better?"

"I would never force myself upon you – I have never had to force a woman into my bed before as they have always come quite willingly."

She pulled her hand back and attempted to shift her body away from him, the arrogance in his voice only serving to anger her further. "Well this one doesn't."

He moved his hands from around her waist to above her elbows to adjust for her sudden movement. "Minako, you're going to have to trust me." She stared back at him not moving. He lifted her bruised arm towards him and brushed his lips over the darkened skin. His kiss was soft against her skin and she exhaled the breath that she hadn't realized she'd been holding. "I don't want you to be afraid of me," he spoke hoarsely, his throat suddenly feeling dry.

For a moment she saw the raw emotion flicker in his eyes, but it was enough to make her stop wanting to be angry with him. She thought back to Rebecca's words from the past couple of days and realized that the other woman was right – he simply just did not know how to respond to someone whom he felt affections for. His protective nature was the only way he knew to act towards her and while it did cause him to overreact, it was perhaps his first real attempt at showing her that she meant more to him than just an arranged marriage.

Before she would allow herself to think any further, she launched herself into his arms and kissed him, pressing her lips firmly against his surprised ones. He eagerly returned her kiss, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close. They fell back on the bed with his body resting on top of hers, his lips carefully moving down her neck. His hand moved down her body, caressing the curve of her waist and stomach. He could feel her body tensing under his touch and slowly pulled away, putting space between their bodies. "I'm sorry, Minako, I can't help myself around you."

"It's ok. I would have asked you to stop if it wasn't."

"You're a beautiful liar," he responded gently, brushing away some strands of her hair. "I'll call for Rebecca to bring dinner up for us, than I'm going to wash up. We can talk more when I come back out."

She thought of last night when she was up in his room and the way he looked, with his skin still damp and his shirt open… 'Stop it!' she scolded herself.

"Minako?" His voice brought her thoughts back to the fully clothed man still looming above her.

"Yes, that sounds good," she quietly agreed, briefly closing her eyes as he leaned forward to gently place a kiss at her temple. He pulled away from her and headed out of the bedroom, not once turning to look back at her. It was almost as if they had somehow come to a silent agreement on where they stood and would continue to stay.

She took a deep breath and gracefully rose from the bed, adjusting her dress and trying to smooth out the layers that had fallen into disarray. The sound of the door to the wash room closing carried over to her and she moved to stand in the open doorway of the balcony, breathing in the fresh air. The sky was ablaze from the setting sun, although dark clouds had starting moving across the countryside, turning part of the horizon a sinister shade of gray. She stood there for some time thinking about the events that just transpired and the events that nearly did. Her thoughts were once again interrupted by the sound of a door opening and she pulled herself away from her perch at the balcony and sauntered into the main hallway calling Rebecca's name. A frown pulled at her lips when she noticed that it was Adonis standing in the main hallway.

"I bumped into Rebecca in the hallway and she told me what happened earlier today. Did he hurt you?"

"I'm fine really."

"I wanted to warn you. This isn't the first time that he has lost his anger so violently." He took a step towards her. "I don't want to see him hurt you again."

She put her hand out to stop him from coming closer. "I'm fine. He's not going to hurt me. He was angry earlier that's all."

"And does that excuse his actions?"

"I think that it hardly excuses your actions since it seems that you are cause of all this."

He held her outstretched palm in his. "I told him that he's not worthy of you."

"And you are?"

"I would never do to you what he has done. I would never leave you wondering what my true intentions were."

"Kunzite and I are to be married and perhaps you shouldn't be addressing me as so in his room."

"Then I'll leave and we can speak at another time when we are not so restricted." He kissed her palm while holding his eye contact, his light blue eyes an open window to his feelings.

"We will never be unrestricted, Adonis," she spoke quietly, unable to break herself away from his gaze. "I will marry your commander as is expected of me."

Adonis uttered a sound of indignation followed by what sounded like the word 'expected'. He released her hand and backed out of the room, closing the door behind him.

Minako clenched her fist tightly, the feel of Adonis's lips still lingering on her skin. She had only been introduced to him a day ago, but with each encounter he became bolder in his approach. To her recollection she had never encountered him before and it wasn't exactly normal for people to react as strongly as he did. Although for all intents and purposes it seemed to be no different for the man she was to marry. She had never been introduced to the General either, yet he seemed to hold a strong enough fascination with her to have decided that they would wed. It was an odd situation that she somehow found herself in where two powerful men both appeared to be in a struggle over her. This should have been a simple enough situation to rectify being that she was already betrothed to the alpha of the pair, yet somehow she did not know how to deter Adonis's advances without involving Kunzite. After seeing how they battled during training and witnessing firsthand the ferocity of his anger, she was afraid of what he may do to put a stop to this problem.

She finally pulled her stare away from the door that Adonis had recently exited from and sighed. For now she would do her best to avoid the blonde haired soldier and instead focus her attention on the man that she was to marry. Despite her current difficulties with the General, it was ultimately up to her to try and make things work if she wanted them to stand a chance at happiness. It was funny, she mused to herself, how drastically things changed over the past few weeks. She came to this place full of trepidation and loathing for this man she had been forced to marry, and somehow during her time here she found herself becoming more curious about him and who he was. For a few brief moments she had been allowed insight into the type of man he could be and despite this setback she reveled in the challenge of bringing it out once again.

Kunzite leaned back in the spacious tub with his eyes closed and arms resting on the thick sides, his hands tightly clutching the curved edges as the warm water encased him. 'What am I to do with her?' he thought to himself. 'It seems that no matter which approach I take I lose. Things should not have been so complicated, yet that's exactly what they have become.' He frowned as Adonis crossed his mind, the younger man seeming to be at the center of his recent string of problems erupting between him and Minako. What he couldn't understand was why this man continued to challenge him at every opportunity. The old adage held in Kunzite's head to keep one's enemies close, but there was no reason for them to be enemies. At one point he considered Adonis to be a confidante, but that had all changed a couple months back and it seemed that the damage done may very well be irreparable.

The gentle sound of the floor boards creaking caught his attention, although somehow the sound of the door opening and closing had not, he mused, and he quietly sighed, filing his thoughts away to the back of his mind for the time being. "Rebecca, is the food here?"

Minako stifled a giggle realizing that he assumed she was still outside waiting. "Uh-huh."

"Tell Minako that I'll be out in a few moments."

"Uh-huh." She continued to approach him and kneeled down behind him on the step leading into the tub.

"Rebecca? You are dismissed. Leave," his repeated, agitated that she would defy his orders. What was it with the women in his home that none would ever obey him?

Minako brought her hands to his shoulders and slowly massaged them feeling him instantly relax for a moment before tensing again. "Rebecca, what are you – Minako!" He turned his head to face her, a look of surprise settling over his features before turning to look forward again. "What are you doing in here?"

"I came in to tell you that the food was here, but you looked so tense that I couldn't help myself." She continued to rub his shoulders and he began to relax against her touch. Her hands kneaded the knots in his back, with him emitting a groan at her touch. She enjoyed the feel of his taut muscles against her hands and took pleasure in the response she was receiving from him. There was something about being so near to him when he was like this that made him appear much less intimidating, although she was sure that he would never admit to it. As frustrating as he was to her he was still incredibly handsome and she couldn't help but to be attracted to him. Lost in her thoughts, her hands began to roam off his shoulders and onto his chest, the warm water making his skin slippery to the touch.

"Minako," he growled. The sound of his voice startled her causing her hand to slip off his chest and slide down to land on his abs. He looked down to where her hand rested before turning to look back at her. "No offense, Minako, but I came in here to get away from the effect of being so near to you."

Embarrassed she pulled her hand back and planted it firmly on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, you startled me and I….my hand slipped. I didn't mean to…" A smile tugged at his lips as she innocently protested her intentions. He lifted his arm and placed his hand on the back of her head, pulling her face to his. She didn't resist when he deepened his kiss nor did she resist when he pulled her alongside of him. He reached out with both arms to wrap around her and pulled her over the side of the tub and into the water on top of him, causing the water to splash over the sides from the weight of her dress. She screamed as she felt the water rise up around her. "I can't believe you pulled me into the water in this dress."

"I didn't realize that pulling you in without your dress on was an option," he teased her.

"It wasn't."

"Then you left me no choice."

"Maybe you've forgotten, but you are naked underneath me."

"I didn't forget." She blushed at his comment. "And you could be too." She somehow managed to blush even harder at the thought. He laughed as she changed into varying shades of red. "There are some robes by the door, grab one for yourself and another for me, ok?"

"I can't get out of this dress. There are hooks in the back that someone normally helps me with."

He laughed at her expression. "Then why don't you let me get out first so that I can help you."

"No!" she answered with more force than she planned. "I mean no," she calmed her voice, "I'll manage." She pulled herself out of the water with his help, making every effort not to look back at him lest she see more of him than she intended. At best she was able to roll herself over the edge of the tub, although the weight of her sopping dress made her fall unceremoniously to the floor. The bodice of her dress clung firmly to her chest, the pale pink material almost translucent again her skin, while the remaining material twisted around her limbs virtually trapping her. She looked back to him from where she sat on the floor, frowning at his rumbling laughter. "Stop laughing at me. This is your fault, now you need to help me. I'm not going to make it to the door."

He leaned over the side of the tub chuckling and unhooked the back of her dress, his fingers stumbling on the small clasps. "Maybe I should just cut this dress off of you."

"With your sword I suppose?"

"I assure you I am a master swordsman."

"I would rather you not if it's all the same." Finally, becoming frustrated with the small hooks, he simply yanked the material apart, sending the clasps sliding across the floor as they were ripped from the material. She wanted to yell at him, but figured that the dress was already ruined beyond repair anyway. Her hands reached up to hold the front of the dress against her chest as the sleeves started to slide off her shoulders without the clasps to keep them in place and turned to look at him. "No peeking while I take this dress off."

"Of course not." He covered his eyes with his hands, but his grin remained in place while she pulled herself free from the dress. Dressed in nothing but her bare flesh, she strode over to the door and picked up one of his robes which was several sizes too big for her. She pushed her arms through the sleeves and held the folds of the robe closed as she turned to look back at him. Her heart felt as if it would jump out of her chest as she found him standing directly in front of her. His whole body rippled with muscles from his chest, to his hard abs to his hard…. Minako quickly looked to the ground. She feared that she may never stop blushing after tonight. He closed the gap between them and wrapped his arms around her. She looked into his eyes and felt herself being pulled into their stormy depths. His lips softly brushed against her neck as he reached around her to grab a robe for himself. She stood there, still posed from his kiss. "You look adorable. Now we should go eat." He reached for her hand and walked with her towards the table where their food sat waiting for them. Once again he pulled out her chair for her so that she could sit. Rebecca must have arrived shortly after Adonis had left. The table was now set with dinner for two along with several candles and a bottle of wine set out for them.

"I see you've spared no expense," she teased as she took in all of the items on the table.

"I asked Rebecca to do a little something extra tonight. She never disappoints me."

"She's been with you for a while now I gather?"

"She has. But enough about the past, what matters is the present. So eat, drink and be merry as they say."

"Is that what they say?" she joked.

"If not, then it's what they should say. It seemed to have worked well enough for us last night, no?" he teased her in return.

"I guess we did," she said smiling. She shifted in her seat and crossed her legs; the movement caused her robe to fall open around her allowing him to glimpse the full long length of her leg.

"Minako, you shouldn't have done that. I'm going to need a lot more to drink if I'm going to make it through this meal." He threw back his head and downed his glass of wine. She sipped hers as she watched him. "I think you can do better than that."

"It wouldn't be lady like of me to drink any faster."

"Sitting the way you are now isn't very lady like either."

"If you don't like the view I can cover it up."

He stared hungrily at her. "The only place you will be moving to is the bed."

She laughed even though she knew that he was serious. There was something about the power that she held over him that made her feel in control at that moment. She picked up her glass and downed the remaining wine. When she looked back at him she had a small trail of the liquid on the corner of her mouth. He leaned forward and ran his finger over her lips catching the offending drop. His finger lingered for a moment longer before pulling back from her."Surely you know the effect that you're having on me."

"We do have a problem getting past this part don't we?"

"Minako, you can tease me all that you like, but don't be surprised when I bite."

"I'm not like you - I haven't been with so many others."

"Have you really never been with another?

She looked away from him, down to her lap. "No, I haven't. Do you find it so hard to believe?"

"Not at all."

"Are you being sincere?"

"Yes. You can tell certain things by looking at a woman, and you have this innocence to you that a woman of more experience would be lacking."

"Is this a good quality in your eyes?"

"I can see nothing bad about you."

"Except for my strong will and stubborn nature?" she teased, trying to lighten the mood.

"I think I can see past your ability to extract gossip from Rebecca."

"Gossip?"

"She tells me how many questions you ask and amuses me with some of her answers."

"I was curious to know more about you."

"And are you still?"

"Sometimes."

"But you're afraid to ask me?"

"I enjoy finding out from other sources."

"May I ask you something?" His eyes seemed to focus on her intensely.

"Since we're being so honest with each other I suppose you may."

"What are you waiting for?"

"Waiting for? I don't know." She stood from her seat and walked over to stand near the fire. Her eyes focused on the flames for a moment before looking up to the painting of Aphrodite hanging above. Those eyes seemed to speak to her. "I want someone who would see me as something more than just an object they can possess."

Kunzite stood and followed to stand behind her, wrapping one arm around her waist. "I see you for more than that."

Adonis's words rung in her ear. "But do you see me?"

"I don't understand your question. You're standing here in front of me now; of course I can see you."

She smiled to herself at his simple answer. "Of course. I wish to retire now."

"You're tired?"

"I didn't say that." She looked up to find him staring directly at her.

"Are you sure this is what you want?"

She smiled softly at him and started walking towards the bedroom with him in tow. Before they entered the bedroom he lifted her into his arms and carried her the remaining way. Her arms instinctively wound themselves around him and she placed several small kisses along his neck line. He placed her on his bed and rested above her. After kissing for several minutes, Kunzite tugged on the tie to her robe, causing the sides to fall open. His eyes took in the image of her laying underneath him, captivated by the sight of her. "Are you sure, Minako? I won't be able to stop myself after this – I don't know that I can stop myself even now."

"I want to do this," she whispered, unable to find her voice. "It's ok."

He gently pulled her arms out of the robe then quickly discarded of his own. She pulled his face to hers and kissed him with as much passion as she could muster. His hands roamed her body, rubbing against her flat stomach then up to her right breast, enjoying the feel against his palm. His kisses traveled down her neck over her chest, settling on her left breast. She moaned at the sensation as he took her nipple into his mouth, playing with it, alternately rolling it on his tongue than suckling it. His other hand moved from her right breast down past her stomach settling on her thighs. Her stomach fluttered as he plunged his fingers into her causing her back to arch as rolls of pleasure ran through her. One hand nestled itself in his hair and the other one grabbed onto his back, her nails digging into his skin. He groaned into her neck, her movements leaving him feeling more and more aroused.

"Minako," he groaned into her hair. He removed his fingers from within her and repositioned himself between her thighs. As he pulled her body closer to his she placed a hand on his chest. "You don't want to?" he asked, a mixture of panic and frustration crossing his features.

"What will you think of me after this? Will I be just another woman in your bed? Will you think anything less of me?"

He put his forehead against her chest and deeply inhaled, trying to steady himself before looking back up to her. "Is that what you really believe?"

"That's not what I want to believe. But if I'm going to give myself to you, and I mean really give myself to you – I need to know that all of this means something to you."

"Minako, if you're asking if I-"

"No! No that's not what I'm asking at all." She looked away from him, embarrassed that she put herself in this position. "I don't expect for you to love me, I never did. It's just that…"

He put his hand on her jaw and brought her face back to meet his, carefully brushing some strands of hair away, something that he had become quite found of doing lately. "You caught me at a weak moment here I confess. I can promise you that I want more than just this -."

"And that's enough," she interrupted him, pulling his mouth to meet hers. With relief he pulled her waist to his and pushed himself halfway into her. She gasped, digging her nails into his back and biting back a scream that threatened to pour through her lips. "I'm sorry, it's only going to hurt at first, it will get better." She nodded her head, signaling for him to continue. He plunged the rest of the way into her and she gasped again. Not wanting to hurt her he moved slowly, keeping his movements unhurried despite his body aching for him to go faster. When her breathing started to slow down she started kissing him again and he took it as a sign that it was ok for him to finish. He began to thrust faster, pulling her waist against his, her nails raking across his back. Her breathing started to pick up and he could feel her starting to tremor beneath him. With relief he let himself finish with her, thrusting until he was shaking from his own release. They stayed there like that for some time with him still in her, their bodies tangled together, catching their breath. Their eyes met and she brought her hand to his face caressing his check and brushing back strands of his hair that hung freely to land on her chest. She was too sore to move, but didn't yet want to be separated from him either.

"You were great, Minako."

"Was I?"

"Yes," he breathed into her ear placing soft kisses on her neck. "I wasn't too rough with you was I?"

"No, you weren't. I enjoyed it."

"Good, than we can do it again later," he smiled at her wickedly.

"I might need some time first."

"We have time, Minako." He pulled himself out of her and laid down next her, pulling her against him. He ran his hand softly up and down the side of her body and she quivered at his touch. "We have plenty of time." That was the last thing she remembered before dozing off nestled against him.


	6. Chapter 6

11/04/07 - Yes...more updates! I can never have enough of them! Review review review!

Authors Notes: This is how I wrote the original version - it's a little more adult, but I think it reads better this way than when I took it out before (hence the M rating). I hope no one is offended by this change.  
As always please review!

05/05/08 - This chapter has just received an overhaul! I decided that a lot of the conversation didn't really make very much sense to the storyline, so a decent amount of the dialogue - as well as descriptions - has been changed.

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Minako awoke to the sound of thunder rumbling in the distance, small flashes of lightning dancing across the sky. 'There's no going back now,' she thought to herself, looking away from the window and back towards Kunzite's sleeping face. She slipped out of bed and put on his white General's jacket that had been left lying on a chair, attempting to cover her nude form. Much like the robe she had worn earlier, his jacket was large on her and hung past her thighs. She enjoyed the feeling of wearing his jacket, as it gave her the feeling that he was hers, like she had a right to keep him all to herself. She walked out onto the balcony and stared off into the distance. This was her favorite part of the whole castle – she could spend hours just standing here looking out over this land. The wind picked up giving her a chill as she wrapped her arms around herself. Her hair blew lightly in the breeze wrapping around her body. She leaned against the stone and closed her eyes enjoying the feel of the cool air brought in by the approaching storm.

Warm arms wrapped around her, startling her from her thoughts. "I'm not going to let you run away this time."

She smiled and leaned into his body. "I'm not going anywhere."

He had felt her body shift away from his in bed and reveled in the sight of her nude form as she stood and slipped out the french doors. His body ached to have her back in his arms, but he was enthralled by the sight of her standing on his balcony. She looked so fragile standing there in his jacket while the wind blew her long hair around her. He continued to watch as the lighting flashed, highlighting her tresses, giving her the appearance of a golden aura. As she leaned forward against the stone siding she looked as though she might take flight at any moment. He climbed out of bed and pulled on his pants, approaching her quietly.

"That's good," he whispered into her ear. "After tonight I may never let you leave my side again."

"Is that what you feel, or are those just words?"

"I don't know what I feel, Minako, it's a little soon for us to decide that. Is it my love that you're waiting for?"

"I agree that it's too soon for a fairy tale ending, but I need something from you. I gave myself to you, and that's not something that I can ever take back. If you were to just dismiss me as if I was some mistress you no longer desired…. I don't know…"

The wind began to pick up, blowing his long hair so that the silvery ends tangled with the golden strands of hers. "I promised you that I would never do that, Minako. You make me happy and that's what matters for right now. I don't want to give you false words and disillusioned hopes. Let's just be content and enjoy the moment."

She turned to face him, his embrace holding her close. Fat rain drops began to fall on them and they were both soaked within seconds, the approaching storm had been lost to them until now. "Maybe we should go inside."

"We could," Minako paused as if in thought, "or we could stay out here."

His thoughts of her implication made him audibly groan. "Do you know what you're doing to me?"

"I do," she simply replied. "The question is do you know what you're doing to me?"

"I will take you right here where we stand if you tell me that."

"I might not stop you." Her eyes reflected his and he knew that she didn't fear him anymore. He slowly lowered her onto the balcony and began to kiss her as the rain pelted down on his back. Her hands reached to his waist and tugged at his pants to which he helped to quickly dispose of. He looked down on her and undid the buttons of the jacket exposing her bare skin to the elements.

"Have I told you how sexy you look in my jacket?"

"Is that before or after you have removed it?" she teased.

"Both. You do wicked things to my mind, Minako. I won't be so gentle this time." He thrust into her not giving her the chance to speak. His mouth closed over hers to muffle her cries while the sound of the thunder blocked out the rest. She pushed back against him, learning his rhythm. The sensation of her orgasm pushed him over the edge and he finished in her again, unable to hold back. "So perfect," he whispered into her ear, his fingers wound tightly into her hair.

She kissed him and moaned as he pulled out from her for the second time that night. He stood up and pulled her to her feet, bringing her body against his. She looked up into his eyes, mesmerized by the intensity staring back at her. His hair clung to his shoulders and back, the silver coloring standing out against the deep tanned color of his skin, only further adding to his sex appeal. This man had the body of a god with his toned physique and tall slim build, and she knew that time would never do anything to make her tire of his image. That single thought with the one singular word brought everything in her mind to a halt - time. It was suddenly clear to her why he could never be hers. She may never tire of his image, but someone of his experience would certainly tire of hers. She would be replaceable in his eyes, married or no. It didn't matter if she wore his clothing and pretended he was hers; it was all only an illusion. "Maybe we should head back inside now and dry off."

"You're starting to shiver," he said, feeling the chill moving through her body. Despite the warmth of the summer evening, the rain drops fell cold and heavy against their warm bodies. With one last stolen kiss he ushered her inside and pulled the saturated jacket from around her shoulders. Minako remained near the balcony doorway and squeezed the water from her long tresses causing a flow of liquid to spill onto the floor.

As she worked on purging the moisture from her hair, Kunzite crossed over to the bed and picked up their discarded robes from the floor. He draped his loosely around his shoulders, more concerned about drying her off to stop her shivering. She smiled at him as he wrapped the warm cotton material around her and held her back against his chest. They stood there for several moments, watching as the intensity of the storm began to fade back to nothing more than dull rumbles in the distance.

"How many times have you stood here like this?" she asked him, her voice so soft that he could barely hear her.

"Not many," he answered her casually. "I rarely have the time to watch storms rolling in."

"That's not what I meant."

He could feel her body tensing against his and pulled her closer trying to ease her discomfort. "No," he murmured into her hair. "Never like this."

She thought his words would set her mind at ease, but instead they only made her wonder more. Was he telling her the truth, or only what he assumed she wanted to hear? Her body ached and a sleepy feeling was starting to wash over her mind making her doubt any of her thoughts at that moment. He told her that she meant something to him, and he told her that he would not think any less of her for her decision to sleep with him even after she told him that she wouldn't. Things had started becoming complicated and she wondered how much more differently things would be if she had never found an interest in this man in the first place. Could she have married him and slept with him? Would he have been as gentle with her if he didn't have her cooperation? The thought unnerved her and she pulled away from him, blotting at her skin with the robe to remove any residual moisture from her skin. "Would you mind if we went to sleep now?" She looked over her shoulder at him and smiled softly. "We've had a fairly eventful night."

"Of course," he answered calmly. He watched her as she slowly climbed into the bed and pulled the covers over her legs, her robe tied tightly at her waist. She looked up at him, waiting for him to move, but her eyes only served to keep him captivated where he stood. Slowly he broke himself free of her stare and walked over to the bed, climbing in beside her. She immediately curled her body against his and he wasted no time in encircling her with his arms. Her breath came out warm against his shoulder and he smoothed away her damp hair, twirling the tendrils and placing them above her head on the pillow. A sigh passed through her lips and she promptly fell asleep leaving him to wonder what had suddenly changed between them over the past few moments.


	7. Chapter 7

I should start out by saying that these characters are not mine. That being said...enjoy!

(old notes) This chapter is a rewrite too - again a little more on the M rating side, but not too much. The following chapters will be a little more on the T rating side.  
I hope everyone is enjoying so far. Please review!

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The next few weeks passed pleasantly for Minako. She found herself thinking about the tall silver haired general more and more during their time apart, which had fortunately had become a rarer occurrence. Every day he went about his duties and responsibilities like clockwork, although unlike before, he now made time to see her during the day when his schedule allowed and made every effort to make sure he had dinner with her at night. When it came time for them to retire, they would sleep in the same bed together with his arms around her. On the hottest of summer nights they would lie naked above the covers but nothing more would be shared between them other than some kisses and a few intimate touches. It left her feeling unsure of herself some days wondering if she had done something to upset him or if perhaps she was not fully to his liking, but she would never voice her concerns being content that he was at least by her side – borrowed time or no.

There had been precisely two nights during this time that he had been forced to be away from her because of his service to the prince, and she realized then how truly fond of him she had grown. He was never able to give her warning of his disappearance; she would realize that he would not be returning when she would finally fall asleep without him besides her.

Tonight, by all appearances seemed like it would be the third night that he would be gone. She cried softly, unsure of where the tears were coming from and wanting nothing more than for them to stop. This wasn't the first time that she was left alone, and he always seemed apologetic when he did return the next day – there was no reason for her to carry on like this. Eventually she fell asleep from sheer exhaustion but was pleasantly awakened later in the night when he climbed into bed besides her. As he leaned over to place a kiss on her cheek, he noticed the singular teardrop that had somehow remained suspended on her cheek tucked away by the corner of her nose. His finger dabbed at the offending moisture and pulled her to him, his voice instantly full of concern for what might have happened to her while he was away. Once again she declined to voice her thoughts and so instead buried herself deeper into his embrace, inhaling his familiar scent until she once again drifted off to sleep. She never knew how many hours he stayed up watching her or that he was plagued with trepidation over the discovered tear. Instead she had pleasant dreams that lasted until the morning, only waking once she felt the loss of the warmth of his body against her own.

She opened her eyes slowly, her hand sliding over the spot next to her where the bed still felt warm. As she blinked away her tiredness, she caught sight of him sitting on the edge of the bed, his head resting in his hands. "Kunzite," she mumbled groggily.

He turned back to look at her, his emotions fading away behind a mask of indifference. "Go back to sleep, Minako," he told her. "It's still early."

"Are you leaving already?" She failed to hide the disappointment in her voice.

"I returned earlier than I should have last night, but I wanted to spend the night at home."

She chewed her lip hoping that she fit into his statement. "I'm glad you were able to return," she said, a small smile pulling at her lips. Her arm extended and she slipped her fingers underneath his cotton shirt to run her fingers up his back, stopping short when she heard a hiss escaping from his lips. "Are you hurt?" she asked, sitting up. Her hand held the sheet to her chest, the silky material the only item separating her nude form from sight.

"It's fine," he attempted to placate her.

"Let me see." Despite the apprehension in her voice he knew that she meant it more as an order than a request. He suppressed his chuckle as he pulled off his shirt, her eyes opening wide as she noticed the deep red marks marring the normally smooth contours of his defined back. "What happened?" She leaned over and ran her hands gently over the agitated skin. From her closer look she noticed that there was some dried blood still caked on his skin.

"It's nothing to be concerned about," he insisted, turning to face her. She looked at him with sadness in her eyes as if she felt the same pain that he did. "I can assure you, Minako," he said lightly as he leaned over to kiss her surprised lips, "that you did much worse to me our first time together."

She blushed slightly at his comment, remembering the short marks that had been left all across his back from her nails breaking his skin. It had surprised her at first to see that she had done that to him and she felt horrible that she hurt him despite his protests that he didn't even notice. "So where did these come from?"

Kunzite chuckled at the jealous expression that crossed her features making her pout further. She leaned back away from him, her fingers digging into the sheet wrapped around her. He rolled back into bed pulling her to him so that she laid under him, his elbows supporting his weight. "Can you keep a secret?" he smiled at her.

"A secret?" she asked, confused at how quickly his mood changed.

"Yes, a secret." She slowly nodded her head. "I was with Endymion yesterday discussing a few things and as we were walking something startled him and let's just say he had some issues holding his sword." He paused to study her expression. "You don't believe me?"

"All of those marks from one bad swing?" she questioned.

He sighed before continuing. "That was only the beginning of my bad luck. I moved quickly to step out of range of his sword and fell against a rose bush tearing the back of my uniform." She bit her lip trying to suppress her laughter. "So was it the sword or the roses?"

"I suppose it was the almighty Kunzite falling victim to a bush of roses. Although I guess it could have always been worse."

"And how so?" he asked her, arching one eyebrow.

"It could have been a batch of dandelions…."

Kunzite watched her with amusement as she continued to laugh at his expense. He tangled his fingers in her hair and brought his lips down on hers, stifling her remaining giggles. Her hands released the blanket to wrap around his neck, pulling his chest firmly against hers. His hand slid from her hair to caress her cheek before pulling away the thin sheet that separated them. His lips moved down to her neck while his fingers trailed tantalizingly slowly down her side, resting against her hip and eliciting a moan from her. "Minako," he murmured against her neck before gently biting the soft skin.

"Kunzite," she whispered his name in return, running her palms against the taut muscles of his arms, mindful to not touch the wounds gracing his back.

"I've been thinking about you, about us and I –." His words were interrupted by a loud rapping against the heavy door leading into his quarters. He growled against her, obviously annoyed by the interruption. "We should -." He was cut off again by the continued knocking and angrily pulled himself away, striding out of the room with long brisk steps. Minako clutched the sheet, once again bringing it to cover herself as she stood from the bed. She walked towards the bedroom door and leaned slightly against the doorframe trying to keep herself mostly from view but from still within hearing range and watched as Kunzite pulled open the door to reveal a young man wearing the official messenger uniform of the palace.

The young man with dark hair held out a letter marked with the royal seal of the prince in his hand, waiting for Kunzite to accept it. "Master Kunzite, I have been personally asked by the prince to deliver this letter to you and to tell you that your presence has been requested at the royal Palace by noon today."

Kunzite looked at the younger man with his eyebrow raised and jaw locked, watching as he delivered his message with an air of arrogance obviously forgetting his rank. The messenger finished speaking his message, his hand beginning to shake as he waited several moments for Kunzite to take the proffered letter. "Is there any other message?" Kunzite asked him coolly.

"Yes," the messenger answered, now speaking his words with more humility. "I was told that the other Generals would be arriving soon as well."

Kunzite sighed as his took the letter. "Tell Endymion that I will be there at noon as requested."

"Very well, sir." The young man bowed as Kunzite shut the door, the letter crumpling in his hand. As he turned back towards the bedroom he noticed the blonde standing in the doorway, the sheet draped around her like a Greek goddess. "I'm assuming you heard?" he asked, pausing mid-step.

"Yes," she answered quietly.

"We'll be departing shortly. You should start getting ready."

"We?" her voice was surprised as was evident by her expression.

"If you would prefer to stay here for the day I suppose I could be back by dinnertime tonight."

"No," she smiled. "I would love to go to the palace." She crossed the room and wrapped her arms around his chest. "Thank you."

"We'll need to leave within the hour if we're going to make it there by noon." He kissed her forehead and pulled away from her walking towards his office.

Once she finished dressing she peered out into the hallway but noticed the door to his office was still closed. She knocked softly and waited patiently until he opened the door, now fully dressed in his General's uniform. "You're ready?" he asked her. She nodded her head, noting the grim expression he wore along with the crumpled letter still grasped in his hands.

"Is something happening that has you so concerned?" she inquired.

"It's nothing to distress yourself with."

"You've been on edge as of late and I would assume that you probably have not put that letter down since you received it. Is the news that bad?"

"Minako, please -."

"Don't silence me," she spoke harshly. "I'm not a naïve child. You make up stories and excuses for why you are gone and for injuries that you mysteriously incur. How long did you think you could keep me fooled?"

He locked his jaw trying to choose his words carefully before responding. "I don't want you to know what happens out there. You're safe here and that's all you need to concern yourself with."

"Then should I go outside these walls and find out for myself what it is that 'happens out there'?"

"People are dying out there. Is that what you wish for yourself? Do you need to see their grief with your own eyes to understand it?"

"What does the letter say?"

"One of my men was killed last night and his head was sent to the Palace. Now it's my responsibility to notify his family of his death."

Minako paled as she envisioned his words and the horror of discovering something so gruesome. "Why?" she squeaked out.

"Because the face of the rebel army is too cowardly to show themselves to us." He sighed, suddenly feeling angry with himself for the tone he used with her. The letter still felt heavy in his fingers, the guilt of the scripted words weighing on him. He folded the letter and placed it on a small table near the door to his office and placed his arm around Minako's shoulders, leading her out of his quarters. "Things have been escalating lately and I don't mean to insult you by not discussing this with you, I only want to spare you the more morbid details."

"You're using that tone with me again, Kunzite," she spoke warily.

"That tone?" he questioned her.

"The one that you use when you're trying to placate people."

"I can't tell you more, Minako. No one outside of Endymion and the other generals know what is going on and it's for the safety of everyone that it stays that way. Things will not change for some time either. I will try to remain here as much of the time as I can, but there will be days where I am gone and I won't be able to guarantee when I'll be returning. Then there's always the risk that I won't be able to return at all I suppose."

"You're not going to leave me here on my own," she stated firmly. "I trust you to always return to me and I don't expect that you would disappoint me by not doing so."

"And for that reason alone I've managed to make it back in one piece, or at least close to," he chuckled. "Minus some flesh of course."

She looked up at him with solemn eyes. "Can you really tell me what happened to your back?"

"That was the truth," he smiled down on her. "Endymion will deny it with his dying breath, but he has truly become lax in his abilities to wield a sword. I fear Serenity has made him soft."

"We'll just have to make sure that no one says the same about you," she laughed. "Otherwise rose bushes everywhere beware."

In one swift move he picked her up and put her over his shoulder, a surprised squeak escaping her lips as he continued his pace down the hall. "That is going to stay our secret."

"Put me down!" she part yelled, part laughed trying to wiggle her way free of his grasp.

"And allow you to run off and tell everyone? That wouldn't do for my image."

"And what if I promise to tell anyone who asks that you were single handedly protecting a woman and her children from a band of thugs? Would that do for your image?"

"It would be a good start I suppose," he said, allowing her to slide off his shoulder and back onto her feet. She slipped her arm through his as they made their way through the halls of his castle and out towards the stable. As always he helped her to mount her horse, except this time instead of walking away as he normally did, he lingered at her side to kiss her hand. Then he mounted his own horse and they rode off towards the Palace.

"Have you met the other Generals yet?" he asked her.

"No, I haven't."

"Second in command is General Jadeite of the Southern provinces and his wife's name is Rei; third in Command is General Nephrite of the Western lands and his wife is Makoto; fourth in Command is General Zoicite of the Eastern territories and his wife is Ami."

"And how is it that you came to be first in command over all the others?"

"Because I am the only one that Endymion will listen to."

"I'm sure there has to be more to it than that," she encouraged him to continue.

"Please, Minako, I don't want to discuss war with you. I don't want you to stop looking at me the way that you do now."

"Could anything you have done really be that terrible?"

"I fought under Endymion's father and he was not an honorable man, not like his son is. Loyalty carries a heavy price and I have paid it."

Their path took them through a forest that would allow them to emerge at the gates of the Palace. Minako was glad to ride in the shade as it felt much cooler than when they were riding under the hot sun.

The form of two cloaked figures, invisible to the approaching riders were crouched high up in the tree branches trying not to be seen. "Here he comes. I told you that he would come this way."

"It looks like he's not alone this time."

"Could that really be her?"

"Shh! Keep your voice down." The other one whispered. "On the count of three, jump. Just be careful not to hurt her."

They crouched down on the branch hiding in the shadows of the trees, covered by dark clothes. "One….two…." the figure prepared to jump. "Three!" he yelled, dropping down on Kunzite's horse, trying to dismount the rider. Kunzite reached for his sword but was thrown off balance and pulled down with the cloaked man, both falling to the ground with a thud. Another figure dropped down in front of Minako's horse and grabbed her reins as the horse attempted to buck, startled itself. She screamed as a hand grabbed for her and she could see Kunzite fighting with the other figure on the ground.

"I'm not going to hurt you," the assailant reached out to grab her hand. She kicked at him and her sandaled foot struck him on his chest harder than he anticipated she could. He grunted from the impact but did not release her horse, the reins still grasped tightly in his hands. The jerking motion had thrown back his hood to reveal a tall man with long dark hair and piercing green eyes. Underneath his cloak she was able to recognize his familiar Generals' uniform.

"What were you thinking?!" She could hear Kunzite yelling and looked over to see that Kunzite had pinned the smaller man under him, taking extra notice that he also wore the same Generals' uniform under his cloak.

Kunzite glanced over her way to make sure that she was ok and saw that Nephrite was holding the reins of her horse. He could tell by her face that they had startled her.

"Are you alright?" he asked her.

"I'm fine."

"I'm glad that you have the same level of compassion for your fellow comrades," Jadeite said. Kunzite stood up and helped to pull the blonde haired man to his feet. Jadeite brought his hand to his eye, gingerly touching the area. "You don't pull your punches do you, Kunz?"

Kunzite lifted an eyebrow as he said this. "You're lucky that's the worst that happened to you, Jadeite." He walked over to Minako and helped her off her horse, afraid that the spooked mare might still try to throw her off. "One of you is missing," he said to Nephrite.

Jadeite spoke up first. "Zoicite is with Endymion. Apparently he told Ami that we were going to meet you halfway and she didn't find it amusing, so he stayed behind. And he wonders why we don't bring him anywhere."

"You don't bring him anywhere because you still think he needs to be initiated into his rank," Kunzite added dryly.

"Ah, but that is no longer true, my fearless leader," he spoke with words of reverence but his tone suggested it was more of jab at the silver haired man. "Just the other day I invited him to come hunting with me."

Nephrite snorted. "And what challenge did you issue him on this hunt?"

Jadeite grinned with his secret, although instead of answering his friend he opted to turn to the woman with golden colored hair who had been silent throughout most of this exchange. "You must be the Minako that our prince told us about and our illustrious leader has failed to previously introduce us to." He crossed over to her and brought her hand to his lips, kissing the surface. She smiled at his gesture and with a gentle tug he pulled her away from Kunzite's hold to interlock his arm with hers. "Kunzite is simply lacking in all etiquette yet he has discipline in abundance," he spoke in mock annoyance. "I am Jadeite and this is Nephrite. So where has Kunzite been keeping you all of this time? Locked in a tower?"

Minako blushed. "Not quite."

"So I hear that you are the cousin of our soon to be Queen," he spoke to her as he glanced over to Nephrite and exchanged a knowing look with him as he started to lead her down the path towards the Palace.

Kunzite stepped forward to follow them but Nephrite put his hand on Kunzite's arm. "Let them go ahead. We need to talk about a few things before we arrive at the Palace." Kunzite went to his horse and mounted it, Nephrite mounting Minako's. The horses walked slowly down the path, remaining outside of hearing distance of the couple walking ahead.

"Is it bad?" Kunzite asked.

"It is. There are rumors of open war but we don't yet know who the key people are. We think that they have a spy among our ranks."

"A spy?" he looked at him doubtfully. "Are you suggesting that perhaps they are spying on us from the moon when it is high in the sky?"

Nephrite sighed. "I had my reservations as well, but Zoicite has been looking into the attack on the North village that occurred a couple of months ago and found that the rebels attacked on a night when your troops were at their lowest guard. How would they know that on that particular night they would be met with the least resistance? You can write this off as pure coincidence if you choose, but once you hear the facts from Zoicite for yourself I think you will have a different opinion."

"I thought that we already resolved the details of that attack."

"It was a false trail. They were ready for us the whole time. My guess is that they are choosing to use guerilla-like tactics to keep us off guard. But if they are willing to sacrifice their men so easily they must have a sizable army laying in wait."

"So the spy must be within my ranks."

"There is a high probability of that being the case, but you share information with us so that it could just as easily be within any of our ranks."

"I share the necessary information, but only what I consider to be pertinent. I can't imagine that I would have told you that I pulled some of my men from the village earlier that evening, although that is something that the Captain would have known. Perhaps I should start my inquiry with him."

"Endymion has asked that we all discuss this before we make any decisions."

Kunzite sighed. "Perhaps I can convince Minako to stay at the Palace for a few days. I don't feel comfortable leaving her at my estate when there is such a risk." he said, shaking his head.

Nephrite hesitated for a moment. "Actually, Endymion wants us to keep this between the four of us – he's been trying to keep this from Serenity. She's been distracted planning the wedding and he wants to keep it that way. He's concerned that you may be right about a planned an attack on their wedding day."

"He's too stubborn for his own good," Kunzite chuckled. "Even when faced with a situation like this he still won't admit that he may not be safe."

"And speaking of stubborn," Nephrite grinned, "perhaps you can explain why we haven't met your fiancée before today?"

"There were some things that needed to be worked out between us first."

"She seems like a nice girl, maybe a little naïve if she's buying into any of the stories Jadeite is reciting to her."

"I think I was the naïve one this time," Kunzite spoke solemnly as he turned his eyes to watch the couple walking ahead of them.

"Have you fallen for her?"

Kunzite looked over to the dark haired man next to him expecting to see a look of mockery but instead was greeted with anything but. "I don't know anymore." He frowned and quickly shook off the conversation. "We should hurry and get to the Palace. We're late enough as it is." His horse trotted up next to Minako and slowed to a walk. "We still have a bit of a walk to go. You can ride with me. These other two can use your horse." He reached down and grabbed her arms, pulling her sideways onto the saddle in front of him. "Hold on tight." She wrapped her arms around his chest and the horse took off at a gallop with a squeal emitting from her lips.

Nephrite looked down to Jadeite. "Do you want a ride or are you walking?"

"I'm seeing stars, I'll take a ride."

"I wouldn't tell Rei that Minako had that effect on you. That wouldn't help your situation at all."

"That's not what I meant. Rei is going to find out what we did if it leaves a mark – and I have a feeling she won't find nearly as much humor in this as we did."

Nephrite extended his hand to Jadeite noticing the swelling starting to appear near his eye. "I hate to break it to you," he helped to pull Jadeite up behind him, "but she's going to find out." He led Minako's horse off the path and towards where they had tied up their own horses. Jadeite dismounted from behind Nephrite and climbed onto his own horse, leading the extra horse along as they headed at a gallop towards the Palace.

They both slowed the gait of their horses as they neared the stables, handing the reins of the horses over to the stable boy waiting nearby. They could hear the sounds of voices coming from the direction of inside the stable and peered around the stable gates.

Kunzite helped Minako slid down off of the saddle before jumping off and looking her over. "Are you alright? They didn't hurt you did they?"

"I'm fine. They just startled me is all. What about you? It looked like you took a pretty bad fall."

"Better than Jadeite," he laughed. "I'm glad you're alright," his tone sobering. "I was worried about you," he spoke softly, leaning in to kiss her softly on the lips.

"Have you ever seen him act so ridiculous for a woman before? He is positively whipped." Jadeite and Nephrite chuckled at the joke until Kunzite turned to look at them with his eyes in slits. "We'll see you inside," Nephrite said with a chuckle, pushing Jadeite along. They both walked out, leaving Kunzite and Minako alone. She chuckled at the two exiting Generals.

"Don't laugh at them, Minako. They only get worse." They walked into the palace together. A servant approached Minako and led her off to meet with Serenity. As she walked down the hall, she turned her head expecting him to be gone as he was the last time she visited the Palace. This time she was pleasantly surprised to find him still rooted to the same spot, watching her disappear down the hallway before proceeding in to his own meeting.

"Since I don't see Kunzite with either of you is it safe to assume that you decided against your prank?" Endymion asked the two smirking Generals in front of him.

"Endymion," Jadeite drawled, "It's not a matter of playing pranks on each other, we're simply helping to keep your top General in shape."

"Then perhaps I should be working harder on keeping my Generals in better shape since we seem to have such a concern suddenly," Kunzite spoke firmly as he entered the room. A glint of amusement could be seen in his eye as he grinned at the three men in question.

"I believe what you are speaking of is called sadism," Jadeite muttered.

"No man has ever died from one of my training regiments," Kunzite responded coolly.

"Of course not," Jadeite countered. "If Zoicite was able to train under you for as long as he did than I suppose that anyone could."

Zoicite smirked without bothering to look up at the two men. "Yes, that's why you requested a transfer after only a few months of training, Jadeite. Although I suppose it could have just been a really hot summer that year…."

Nephrite let loose with a deep rumbling laugh as Jadeite glared at the younger man still busying himself with the parchment in front of him. Kunzite straightened himself out to his full height and looked at the prince, his commanding voice silencing the room. "You summoned us."

"Yes, of course," Endymion tried to cover his smile with a look of seriousness. "Nephrite said that he has briefed you on what Zoicite has recently learned. We need to find the source of this break in our security and weed it out. Just this morning I received word that some of the higher up members of this rebel faction have been seen lately in the neighboring villages and towns. The four of you will split up to find these men and question them until they tell us exactly what we need to know. I don't care what you have to do - these rebels need to be stopped. The death toll of their carnage has grown to the point where my people are now afraid to leave their homes and trading between villages is starting to slow." Endymion stopped for a moment to sigh. "I'm afraid that if things keep escalating as they are we will need to be prepared to go to battle. I'm sure the remnants of the last war are still fresh enough in all of your minds to know that it's not an option."

The men looked at their leader and watched as he struggled to suppress the emotions tugging at him. As he said, they all remembered the last war where Endymion had built an army strong enough to over throw his father. It wasn't something that he relished doing, but he could not allow the tyranny of his father's reign to continue unchecked. He tried talking to the man and nearly pleaded with him even to change his policies with no success at all. The war had taken its toll on the people of the Kingdom, but they all found that as they fought, many of the old King's soldiers willing surrendered themselves having no loyalty to their King other than the small pittance he paid them.

Memories still surfaced in Kunzite's mind as he recalled the final encounter between Endymion and his father. The young Prince had been unable to reason with his father even when the King knew that he had been defeated. What angered Kunzite more than anything was when the King attempted to kill his own son. In Kunzite's anger he ran the king through with his sword to save Endymion's life. The satisfaction of killing the man had nearly made him sick and it took all that he had to remain composed for the sake of his prince who stood by watching his father die, who even as he lay dying, had nothing but spiteful words for his son rolling off his tongue. Endymion had taken the sword from Kunzite's hands and later told the other Generals that it was he that had killed the King rather than risk retribution against Kunzite by any of the King's remaining loyalist. It was a moment of weakness that Kunzite allowed for Endymion to take the blame for the king's death and he vowed to protect his Prince from that day on with his life to make up for what he deemed to be his greatest failure.

"I want Minako to stay with you and Serenity at the Palace. I don't want her staying by herself in case the spy is one of my own."

"I think that maybe all of our wives should stay at the Palace lest they become victims of retribution while we are gone," Nephrite added.

Zoicite cleared his throat before speaking. "Ami will stay with Rei, just in case there are any complications with the baby." He looked sympathetically over to Jadeite who seemed to pale at the other man's words.

"Then we're all agreed." Endymion said. "Just please don't mention anything about this to Serenity. I don't want her to panic," he smiled before continuing, "and I especially don't want to ruin her wedding plans."

Minako walked into the study to find Serenity and Ami talking. The room was spacious with a high ceiling, lined with crown molding. Several tall bookshelves lined the far wall filled with an assortment of books and other valuable trinkets and collectibles. Another wall was lined with tall windows while the adjacent wall contained a fireplace accented by a large mantle. A deep maroon carpet was rolled out across the floor in front of the fireplace and topped with several high backed chairs and small decorative tables arranged in a semi circle around a short maple wood table. The room was decorated in warm colors and was used mostly by Serenity when entertaining guests.

Serenity looked up and gave her a huge smile. "Minako! I'm glad that you made it. Come sit with us." She patted her hand on the armrest of the chair next to her. Minako walked over to and sat down in the chair, carefully crossing her legs at her ankles. "This is Ami, Zoicite's wife. Ami, this is my cousin Minako that I've been telling you about."

"It's nice to meet you, Minako. I've heard so much about you that I feel like I already know you."

"I apologize that Kunzite hasn't told me very much about you, anyone for that matter really."

Serenity sighed dramatically. "I'm the one who should be apologizing," she said. "I really shouldn't have trusted Kunzite to make proper introductions."

The three girls laughed at Serenity's comments, quickly breaking into easy conversation that mostly consisted of Serenity asking Minako questions about her growing relationship with the quiet General.

As dinnertime approached, Serenity and Ami excused themselves to get ready for the meal. Serenity went to her room to change and Ami went back to Zoicite's room, showing Minako to Kunzite's apartment on her way. Minako thanked Ami than walked into the room closing the door behind her. It was exactly as she imagined it. The room was simple and fairly empty, with only the personal effects that he needed. She wondered to herself how often he used this room and guessed it to not be very often.

There was still time before dinner so she decided to wander around through the halls of the Palace in order to more quickly pass the time. She walked into the dining room to find that no one had arrived yet and went out onto the balcony to wait.

"Can you see it from here?" A male voice asked from behind her. Startled she turned to see Jadeite approaching. He stood next to her on the balcony. "That's my home out there. If you look out to the horizon you can make out the towers."

"I see. Kunzite will have to bring me there someday so that I can see your home. I'd like to meet Rei as well. I don't really have anyone to talk to here since my family's home is so far away."

"I would advise waiting until after she has the baby. She's had a long and somewhat difficult pregnancy. You'll like her though – and Makoto too."

"Have they known each other long – Rei and Makoto?"

"Oh yeah, for most of their lives actually. Makoto is the one who introduced me to Rei. But tell me about yourself, I've done so much of the talking already today."

"There's not much to say. Serenity was always like a sister to me, we spent almost every day together until she moved into the palace to marry her prince," the smile slowly faded from her lips. "It's like her own personal fairy tale come true." Minako cleared her throat softly before continuing. "I'm happy to be reunited with her again."

"May I ask you something?"

"Of course," she smiled softly.

"Has Kunzite been good to you?"

"I'm happy with him."

"He can be difficult at times, if you haven't noticed already."

She smiled. "Yes, he certainly can be when he wants to be."

"But he is a good man and he will take care of you. We've never seen him this way around any of the other women he's been involved with. You seem to have a calming effect on him."

"We've had some bad times, but we've also had some good times. It's all new for both of us, we hardly know each other."

"Endymion knew that you were what he needed, that's why he arranged for Kunzite to marry you."

She paused – the prince arranged for their marriage – Kunzite did not want her? Then why had he let her think that?

"Minako?"

"The Prince is a smart man," she said quietly.

"You know, if he ever does anything to wrong you we'll take care of him, the three of us I mean. We're like brothers and we make sure to look out for one another."

Minako laughed at the vision of them taking turns smacking him on the head. "I appreciate your concern and I won't hesitate to let any of you know when he's in need of a friendly reminder."

Kunzite and Rei stood at the entrance to the dining hall, watching the blonde haired couple and their quiet exchange.

"Should I be surprised at all?" Rei asked.

"Surprised?" he questioned.

"Yet another blonde?" she smirked. "I think it's time that you broke your pattern."

"Don't you think it's a little soon to start making judgments?"

"They have all been the same, Kunzite. If no one else is brave enough to point this out to you, than I will be the first. You are not exactly known for selecting women based on their moral standing. If I had to guess I would imagine that this one would at least have enough intelligence to know that she's being insulted, although I'm sure too dainty to speak out in front of you."

Kunzite smiled at her bluntness. "I have had many mistresses, Rei, many that you have never known of. Just because none have chosen to indulge you with a battle of words does not mean that they are in anyway lacking. Although I will confess that many were chosen for other attributes that I should probably not be discussing with a lady."

Rei snorted in response. "I'm surprised that you don't have a whole army of children from your exploits by now."

"You of all people should know not to buy much stock in any of Jadeite's embellished stories."

"There is always at least of hint of underlying truth beneath his fantastic amount of fanfare." Rei absently started to rub her hands over her rounded belly, flinching as she felt a sharp jab as the baby kicked against her ribs.

Kunzite noticed the grimace of pain that quickly flashed over her features and put his hand on her shoulder. "Are you alright, Rei?"

"Yes, I'm fine," she sighed. "This child is about as restless as his father," she laughed, grimacing as she felt another sharp kick from within. "I'm going upstairs to sit with Makoto for a while before dinner. Please ask Jadeite to join me once he's done spinning whatever far-fetched tale he's in the process of weaving."

"I hope you're resting like the doctor has asked you to."

She rolled her eyes at him as she started walking down the hallway. "I'm not sure who's more protective of this child – you or his father."

Kunzite chuckled at her retreating form as he entered into the dining hall and walked towards the balcony where the couple was still talking. He gently placed his hands on Minako's shoulders and gave them a light squeeze. She turned her head and smiled brightly up at him. "Perhaps I can steal you away?" he asked her, glancing over at Jadeite.

"I don't suppose there is any refusing my fearless leader when he comes a calling," Jadeite chuckled. "I should probably see if my beautiful wife has arrived yet."

"I just spoke with her and she said that she is going to wait with Makoto till dinner," Kunzite responded.

"Then I will take my leave," Jadeite bowed playfully to Minako and grinned at Kunzite as he made his way around them.

"Is everything ok?" Minako asked softly. One of his slim eyebrows arched gracefully as he glanced down at her. "Did your meeting go well? You seem as if you have something on your mind."

He took her hand in his and started to lead her through the dining hall. "Dinner's been delayed for a little while longer, why don't we go for a walk until then."

They walked through the halls of the Palace with no words being spoken between them. Minako could sense that something was happening, and that it probably wasn't good based on his serious expression and the urgency of the Prince's meeting. They walked out into the gardens and she was amazed by what she saw as she had never been to this part of the garden before. There was a winding path that led to a large assortment of flowers and other flora. In the center was a large flowing fountain with the form of a kneeling woman praying with the most peculiar hair style she had ever seen. Kunzite led her over to the fountain and they sat down on the edge, the breeze lightly sprayed a mist of water on their faces.

"How would you feel about staying here for a couple of days?"

"Oh I would love to stay here and spend some time with Serenity. How long will we be staying?" she innocently asked him. He met her gaze for a moment than appeared to focus on a spot behind her. "Are you not staying?"

"I have to…" he struggled for the right word. "There are some things Endymion needs me to take care of. The other Generals will be riding out as well."

"How long till you return?" She was met with silence. "Are you returning?"

"Yes, I just don't know how long it will take." He took her hands in his, her small delicate fingers wrapping around his own. "I don't want to leave you here, but it's not safe for you to be left alone at my estate and there is no safer place than here at the Palace."

"I feel safe when I'm with you…"

"And that's where you will be when I return." He looked up to see the sun getting lower on the horizon. "They are probably wondering where we are." Her sad eyes looked into his. She put on her brightest smile and stood from besides the fountain turning to walk away. He jumped up and pulled her into his arms. He held her as close as he could for fear of hurting her, and placed a kiss on her lips. She reached her hands up to his face and returned the kiss with equal passion. This was her time with him and she wanted to make sure he knew how much she awaited his return. He groaned into her kiss and pulled back looking lustfully into her eyes. "That's a good reason for me to hurry back and return to you."

"I have a few more reasons as well," she purred seductively.

"Don't start, Minako. Serenity would be angry with me if you missed dinner."

"Then what about after?"

He hesitated. "There won't be an after."

"Oh." That was the last that she said to him as she walked away, heading back inside. He was angry at himself for making her sad. She would just have to understand that this was his job and that nothing else could come first. He took several large steps and caught up with her, placing his arm around her. Silently, they entered the Palace.

"I think that he may be sincere about this one," Makoto said looking down on the couple from the balcony of her and Nephrite's room overlooking the gardens. "Normally he's so indifferent to what anyone else thinks, but with her he seems – I don't know how to describe it. Look at the way he follows her."

Rei sat on a chair watching them exit from the gardens. "She's not going to be good for him. There is a lot of trouble surrounding them."

Makoto laughed at her friend. "You say that every time. Serenity seems wonderful enough; I can't imagine that her cousin would be too different from her."

"That's not it, Makoto. I just get a feeling when the two of them are together. Being in lust with someone is different from being in love with them."

"If they are both happy for now then does it really matter?"

"He's going to marry her, Makoto. They need more than right now."

"Technically it was Endymion who arranged this marriage."

Rei slowly pulled herself from her seat with a little help from Makoto. "Do you honestly believe that Kunzite would allow himself to be forced into getting married? He is neither that loyal nor that dull."

"Yes, and if you hadn't fallen in love with Jadeite first, I'm sure you would have found yourself in love with Kunzite instead. Maybe you're just afraid of letting go of your friendship with him." Makoto slipped her arm through Rei's and started leading her from the room. "You could at least give her a chance before we decide whether or not to like her."

"I suppose," Rei answered quietly. They walked in silence again before Rei finally spoke up. "I would not have fallen in love with Kunzite. We're friends, we understand each other."

"There's nothing wrong with wondering what could have been. Just because in a twist of fate I could be marrying Endymion instead of Serenity doesn't mean that I love Nephrite any less or love Endymion any more." Makoto paused and gave Rei a wicked look. "With his stubborn streak, neither of you would have lasted more than a few minutes anyway I suppose!" Both girls laughed loudly at the comment before their laughter finally subsided into giggles.

Rei sighed and shook her head, absently rubbing her stomach with her free hand. "It's hard knowing that I will soon be replaced. He and I have been close friends for so long, and now it will be her that he laughs with and tells stories to instead of me."

"I don't think that his loyalties are so shallow that he would cease to be your friend simply because he's married."

"And what if that's what she asks him to do? Should he be forced to choose between his new wife and me?"

"By not giving her a chance isn't that exactly what you are asking him to do?"

Rei stopped walking and looked up at the taller girl. "How is it that you are the one suddenly giving me advice when it has always been the other way around?"

Makoto chuckled as she gently tugged against the raven haired girl's arm to continue leading her down the hallway. "One word for you," she smiled. "Hormonal."


	8. Chapter 8

05/09/08 - Much like one of my other stories, I've decided that it was time to pull this story down and start working on the rewrites. This chapter still follows the old plot line, but I've added a few more scenes to the chapter. I'm working on chapter 9 right now and there have been a lot of updates made so far - and I'm only halfway done! Starting at chapter 9 you will see a new storyline leading to a better (although not necessarily happier) ending. All reviews are appreciated! It's helps to let me know which version you like better (or which parts you like less).

So without further ado...

05/27/08 - So I just realized that I posted the wrong updated chapter 8... This is what happens when you have too many revisions going on! I rewrote the whole first half of this chapter to align with the new chapter 9 which is going to be posted shortly. I also rewrote the first part of chapter 6 to make the conversations more believeable and to bring further depth to the Minako/Adonis storyline. In additiona to that, I just reposted chapter 7 yesterday because I realized that the chapter was completely lacking. I'm changing the progression of the character development and also including more of the other characters in the upcoming chapters. (We might even hear from Endymion in this story! No promises...) This chapter also takes place weeks after chapter 7 so this story will go further in time than the first version. So if this is your first time reading I hope you enjoy the chapter - if you're reading my 100th revision of this chapter then I hope you like this better. Enjoy! (Please review - if I know you like my revisions I can stop making more...)

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Dinner was a fairly quiet affair that night. The Generals had agreed that they would leave after everyone finished their meals and were all sequestered at one end of the table talking amongst themselves. Rei exchanged pleasantries with Minako, but did not make any attempts to talk with her like Makoto did. Instead she remained fairly silent opting to watch this new girl interacting with the other girls at the table. She couldn't help but to notice that the blonde would intermittently look down the table towards Kunzite and smile when he returned her gaze.

After dessert they all parted company, the Generals wanting to say goodbye to their significant others before departing. Jadeite escorted Rei to their room and helped her to get comfortable in their bed, wanting her to rest while he was gone. She smiled as he placed an extra pillow under her feet and brought the blanket up around her waist, all the while talking to her belly and leaving strict instructions for the baby to wait for him to return before deciding to be born.

"I'll be back before you know it," he spoke adoringly to her, brushing his lips along her forehead.

"I want you to be here when our child is born. You have to be by my side."

"I wouldn't miss that moment for anything, you know that, Rei. They all know that I want to be here with you and no one can stop me."

"Where are the four of you going?"

"It's nothing dangerous," he chuckled, speaking as if he were going out for a walk on a sunny day. "Don't worry about me. Now get some rest and don't hesitate to call Ami if anything doesn't feel right. I want my son to be healthy so that he can grow up to be in command of Endymion's son's army." He kissed her stomach.

"How do you know this one's not a daughter?"

"Because I'm pretty sure that I placed an order for a son. And if it's a girl, she'll have the four of us looking after her and keeping those boys away."

"Boys like you?" she teased playfully.

"Exactly," he grinned childishly.

It was times like this that she allowed herself to forget who her husband really was and what it was that he did as a soldier. With his shaggy blond hair, light blue eyes and handsome features he seemed to be nothing more than a large child in man's clothing. At this moment he was just a father-to-be, and it was this moment that Rei was going to keep in her heart until he returned. Deep down her insides churned with worry that this may be the time that he would not return to her, but she would not allow those feelings to surface. She knew that he would not be able to rest easy while he was gone if he knew how she really felt – although she was sure that he was not completely oblivious to her concerns either. They had come to an understanding after the years that they had been together that they no longer needed to put into words their feelings. It was something that was silently understood and accepted. Much like now as he kissed her one last time before heading for the door.

"What happened to your eye?" she called out quickly as he had one foot out the door.

He looked back over his shoulder with a childish smirk on his lips. "You know what they say – 'it's all fun and games until someone loses an eye'!" He chuckled at her frown and closed the door behind him. His footsteps seemed to echo hollowly in his ears as he made his way down the stone hallway, mirroring the emptiness he suddenly felt within. Before Rei, he would relish these times when he would be sent out on missions. The excitement of never knowing what would happen thrilled him. He could still remember back to the times when he and Nephrite would boldly put themselves in danger, not caring what the fates had in mind for them. Wild battles and drunken nights in saloons was their way of life – even Kunzite at times would indulge himself, although he would do so more silently than the other two.

His thoughts suddenly darkened as he remembered the fourth man who shared their ranks – Diamond. That man had a sinister side that he never hesitated to unleash. For years no one knew what it was that he did when they were not gathered and it had been a shocking discovery when they finally did. People were in fear of this man who had clearly been Kunzite's rival since day one. Both men were so similar in appearance, but Diamond never had whatever it is that Kunzite did. He would have never made a strong leader and Endymion was wise enough to realize this, although maybe a little too oblivious to realize that he had lost control of his second-in-command.

Diamond had become infamous during the war. He immediately swore his allegiance to Endymion even though Jadeite still believed that he had not completely severed all ties to Endymion's father. Some people could not be trusted and Diamond certainly proved that to be true. Jadeite always wondered why Kunzite did not deal with him sooner – surely he must have known before anyone what it was that the man had been doing. It still sent chills through Jadeite's spine thinking back to the ghastly things he had witnessed. Diamond killed whoever stood in his way – and it was rarely a merciful demise. He would torture his victims and allow for a slow painful death to finally take their life rather than do so himself. Nothing Jadeite had ever seen or done compared to the horrors inflicted upon Diamond's enemies or even innocent civilians. Diamond took what he wanted whether it was a poor man's riches or the woman in his household, women who were not always of an old enough age to serve his purposes. He had single handedly all but damaged the image of Endymion's Generals and imparted fear of what Endymion's reign would bring. After entirely too much time had passed, at least as far as Jadeite was concerned, Kunzite forcibly removed the man from his rank. It had been a blessing to everyone once this man finally became powerless, although it still pulled at Jadeite's mind that he never knew exactly what happened to him. Endymion insisted that Diamond had been properly dealt with and Nephrite often joked that their fearless leader Kunzite killed him, but he wasn't so sure that he believed that either. Kunzite was certainly as much a man of action as he was of words, but if there was one truth about his leader, it's that he wasn't a killer – not by choice.

But, Jadeite reminded himself, those days are long since over. With the absence of Diamond, Jadeite was moved up to second-in-command and Nephrite took the third rank. It had taken a while for a replacement to be found and it came as a bit of a shock that it would be Zoicite. He was younger than Jadeite by a couple years – and Jadeite was younger than Nephrite and Kunzite both - and had barely served in the war years earlier as he wasn't of age until the very end. Kunzite insisted though that he was the best to fill the position and once Kunzite made a decision, not even the Prince could talk him out of it. It was kind of funny how Zoicite seemed to fit in with them so seamlessly despite the hard time that Jadeite enjoyed giving him.

As Jadeite emerged from the Palace, he walked over towards where Nephrite and Zoicite were waiting. Both men were already mounted on their horses and waiting for the remaining two late arrivals. Jadeite stealthily walked up besides Zoicite's horse and pulled out his sword, ready to smack the mare's rear with the flat side of the blade. Without missing a beat, Zoicite unsheathed his own sword and swung his body towards Jadeite, the tip of his sword precariously close to the other man's throat.

"I'm shocked that a partner of mine would act so callously towards a friend," Jadeite spoke with exaggeration, using his own sword to slowly push away the tip of Zoicite's weapon from his neck.

"I'm sure it does," Zoicite muttered, sheathing his sword.

"So good of you to finally join us," Nephrite chuckled at the exchange between the two men. He had grown quite accustomed to their constant battling.

"I see that at least I am no later than our leader," he gestured to the air around him. "It seems that he will be the late one tonight."

"We'll give him a few more minutes," Zoicite responded.

"Leave him be," Nephrite interrupted. "Besides, I have no interest in being the one to interrupt whatever it is that either he and the Prince or he and his soon-to-be wife are doing."

"You always have to be the saint, don't you?" Jadeite called over his shoulder as he walked towards the stable to saddle up his own horse.

Minako stood near the balcony doors, her eyes looking out over the expanse of land rolling out in front of her but not really seeing anything at the same time. Kunzite was standing near his desk, sliding his belt through the sheath of his sword before winding the leather around his waist and securing it tightly with a metal buckle. She stood uncomfortably with her body against the cool stone of the doorway, absently picking at imaginary dirt under her nails or alternately pulling at the strands of her long hair, anything to keep her from turning back to face the silver haired General.

"Do you really have nothing else to say to me?" he asked her.

"No," she said despondently.

"I warned you that this would happen." His voice remained monotonous and grated against her nerves how he seemed so disinterested.

"So you have," she answered with equal enthusiasm.

"Are you angry with me?"

"No."

"Then why won't you speak to me."

She sighed and finally pulled her eyes away from the landscape in front of her to look at the stone floor of the balcony. "The sooner you leave, the sooner you return. There is nothing else for us to speak of."

"So you would rather have me spend the last moments of my life remembering this moment where you scorned me?"

The blonde haired woman quickly spun around to face him, angry at his words and annoyed at his smirk. He had been baiting her and she took it hook, line, and sinker. "That's a terrible thing to say," she scolded.

"Are you really so concerned about my leaving?" his voice and his smile softened.

"Should I not be? You won't tell me anything about where you're going or when you will return. I'm just supposed to wait around here and do nothing? You won't even let me return to your home. I feel like I've been made into a prisoner."

"At least you are in the ideal prison then," he joked.

"I'm glad to see that your sense of humor is still intact," she huffed in annoyance and walked through the room heading towards the door.

He quickly crossed the room in a few short steps and grabbed her hand, spinning her to face him. Oddly enough, he found her pout to be rather endearing. "I will think of you every night that I'm gone," a hint of compassion could be heard in his voice. He reached over and placed his finger under her chin, bringing her eyes to meet his. "Your beautiful face will be in my dreams."

"Do you think I can be won over by a few compliments?" she frowned trying to turn her head to free her chin from his grasp.

"Not at all," his husky voice caught her off guard as his hand slid down her side and moved to rest on the small of her back. "I just want you to know that it's your warm body that I will be coming back to, and it's this same body that I will think of when I think of home."

She blushed lightly at his words and his gaze, her frown starting to fade. "Is that all that you will think of? Isn't that a little shallow that you will only concern yourself with your memory of my appearance?"

He chuckled at her words. "Of course I will also be reminded of the stubborn woman that it belongs to who could not be bothered to give me a proper farewell."

"I have already wished you luck on your journey. What else would you expect from me?"

"I suppose that is all that I could ask from you," he said thoughtfully as he pulled away from her. Instantly he missed the warmth of her body and he could tell she felt the same sentiment as she took a step closer to him before he turned to walk over towards where his cape was carefully laid out along the foot of the bed.

"I never really hated you," she called over to him.

He smiled and kept his back turned to her, fastening his cape to his uniform. "I know."

"I am going to miss you."

"As will I you."

"I think I'm falling in love with you," she said boldly. The smile fell from his lips as shock took over his features. He turned to face her and she stood nervously in front of him chewing on her lower lip. "I meant it when I said that I never hated you. You never gave me the chance to get to know you, but as I learned more about you I found myself growing curious over who you really were. I was angry that I was being forced to marry you and I probably never would have accepted your marriage proposal even if I had a choice in the matter. But that was then and this is now. You've shown me a side of you that I want to know more of." She paused, unsure of whether she should continue or whether or not there was something he would like to add. When he said nothing she continued, her voice much lower than it was moments ago. "I'm sorry if that's not what you expected to hear from me or even wanted to hear at all. I've just never met anyone like you before and I – I -." Words failed her and she submitted to the silence of the room.

"You love me?" he asked quietly. She nodded her head timidly waiting for his response of reciprocation or dismissal. "In only a few weeks you can say this?"

"Not just a few weeks, Kunzite," she shook her head. "I've been fascinated by you since day one. You never really gave me the chance to say anything to you before all of this. But these last few weeks have shown me a part of you that I can tell many have never seen. I won't ask you to feel the same or even to pretend to. I just don't want you to leave without knowing."

"Come here, Minako," he spoke firmly. For one of the first times in his life, he was speechless. His eyes watched her as she fluidly crossed the room. As she neared him he reached out and pulled her body against his, pressing his lips against hers. He could feel the tension leaving her once in his embrace, and he felt an odd mixture of relief and sadness in that moment. Here she was, admitting to him feelings that he never would have imagined her having for him and now here he was about to walk out the door, unable to take the time to think about everything. It was an odd sense of humor the fates seemed to have for him. "I will return to you as soon as possible and we'll talk more then," he said, intently watching the timidity flashing through her eyes.

"Promise me you'll return?" she asked resolutely.

"I promise." He brushed his lips against hers once more before pulling away and walking out the door, not allowing himself to look back lest he change his mind and stay with her. No matter what, he could not let some things change. His loyalties had to remain to his responsibilities despite the cost.

"He does know that we were supposed to leave 10 minutes ago now right?" Jadeite asked, sighing dramatically as if he had other things he could be doing at that moment.

"I told you we should have gone looking for him," Zoicite responded, looking over at Nephrite.

"No one needs to go looking for me, I'm here," Kunzite stated, riding up on his horse to join them.

"Where have you been?" Nephrite asked.

"With his lady love of course," Jadeite chuckled.

Kunzite opted to ignore the both of them and instead began issuing commands. "Jadeite," he turned to the man with shaggy blonde hair next to him, "you will be with me."

"I'm sure that Zoicite requested that I be his partner on this mission," Jadeite insisted, smiling at the younger man who merely frowned and snorted in response.

"Nephrite, you will be with Zoicite. I think everyone understands what is expected of them." Each man solemnly nodded, the humor fading from their conversation. "You heard what Endymion said, do what you have to do – within reason of course. I want everyone back here no later than three weeks from today. Sooner is obviously preferred. Death is no excuse for being late either – understood?" There was no mistaking the firm tone of Kunzite's voice, but they all recognized his attempt at lightening the mood. Although at the same time the other three men knew that death himself would bend to Kunzite's will if that was what he demanded. With nothing more than brief nods of acknowledgement, the four men split into their packs and headed off into their desired directions.

A couple of weeks had gone by without any word from the Generals. Endymion did his best to assure everyone that they would be back soon and to not worry, but his words did very little to calm anyone's nerves. The stress had begun to take its toll on Rei as she worried that something had happened to Jadeite. Ami continued to remind Rei that she had to stay calm for the baby, but her words did little to soothe Rei's anxiety either.

The days were long and everyone was growing more restless by the moment. Minako started to feel anxious by her imposed imprisonment and wanted nothing more than to leave the walls of the Palace. Each time she approached the subject of leaving she was immediately told that she needed to stay on the Palace grounds. The first few days she was content enough to stay, but as time wore on she started to become frustrated. All she had was time to think about the last words she had spoken and to dwell on the ones that he had not. Minako wasn't foolish enough to think that he would love her back, but she also once believed that she would hate this man who claimed her as his own without giving her a say. It was an interesting turn of events that had somehow occurred.

She paced the room that she would have shared with Kunzite had he stayed, but found no comfort. The room was bare of many personal items and did not have the same comfort as his room back at his estate. Instead she felt lonely despite Serenity's companionship and the polite conversation that the other girls made with her. They simply didn't know her well enough to have anything of real context to discuss. Ami tried to make time to talk to with her now and then, but for the most part she spent her days close by Rei's side. Lately Rei started stating that she hadn't been feeling well and Ami was convinced that it was only a matter of time before the baby was born despite Rei's insistence that she had to wait for Jadeite's return.

A maid walked into the room, interrupting Minako's thoughts. She carried a tray with lunch neatly arranged on it and placed it on a small table by the door. Minako stopped her pacing and smiled kindly at the maid. "You missed lunch again today, my lady," the other woman spoke up, breaking the silence. "Mistress Serenity has asked that I bring up something for you to eat. Everyone is concerned about your health."

"I'm fine, I promise you, Mary," she responded kindly. "I'm really not hungry though. You can bring the tray back to the kitchen."

"I spoke with the seamstress yesterday and she mentioned to me that she had to take in some of your dresses around the waist. My Lady is thin enough as it is; I'm concerned that you will make yourself sick. Don't you wish to be healthy for when the Prince's Generals return?"

Despite Minako's inquires and attempts to find out where exactly the four men had gone, Endymion refused to tell her. Even the staff, which was notorious for its gossip, was unable to ascertain the Generals location. If she at least knew that he was safe she would be able to rest easy, but this constant feeling of not knowing anything plagued her mind. "Yes of course," she answered softly in return.

"Mistress Serenity has also requested that I tell you that she and the Lady Makoto will be heading into town shortly if you wish to join them."

Minako's eyes seemed to light up at hearing this. "Prince Endymion has approved of this?"

"I don't know," the maid answered nervously. "I was only told to pass along this message."

"Then please tell her that I will be happy to join them both."

At first the three girls passed through the streets fairly unnoticed - even with the small contingent of guards surrounding them. Eventually people become curious of whom they must be and it wasn't long until Serenity was recognized by passing nobles and local villagers. Minako found herself somewhat amazed by how many people seemed so energized by her cousin's presence. Until this moment, she hadn't realized the impact Serenity had on the people of the kingdom.

"It's amazing to see how she lights up the faces of those around her, isn't it?" Makoto murmured to Minako as they stood off towards the side.

"What's not to love about her," Minako said thoughtfully. "She is what her name says."

"You'll find yourself on the inside of that circle soon."

"Me? Why would I be of any interest to anyone?"

"Because you will be Kunzite's wife. Should anything happen to Endymion, Kunzite is stationed to take his place, or at least until Endymion produces an heir. Many people regard Kunzite very highly for that reason – and among other things as well. You'll find that some of the more shallow court ladies will be eager to befriend you for no other reason than that."

"I doubt that I will ever be recognized for that reason or any other. I would be hard pressed to find time for us to be seen together in public when I can hardly arrange to have time with him in private."

"Once things settle down I think you'll find that things will change. Jadeite is going to be a father any day now and even he has been having difficulty spending time with Rei over the past few months."

"I didn't know," Minako responded, somewhat surprised over the admission.

"She doesn't actually dislike you," Makoto smiled pleasantly while placing her hand on Minako's shoulder.

"I didn't think that I gave her reason to."

"Believe it or not it even took a while for Serenity to grow on her. She's not completely trustful of strangers, especially when it comes to Kunzite."

"There is our soon-to-be-new-queen," a voice spoke up clearly behind where Minako and Makoto stood, grabbing the attention of both women.

"Have you been introduced to her?" another voice inquired.

Minako looked over her shoulder and noticed the first voice belonged to a tall slim woman with blonde hair, and the second belonged to a slightly shorter woman with brown hair. Both women were very attractive, but something about the features of the blonde made Minako look twice, noticing how beautiful she appeared.

"I can't imagine it would be worth my time," the blonde said.

"Best to be in her favor than out."

"And I suppose I am best in the favor of Kunzite's newest conquest as well," she snorted. "Have you heard the gossip? That he is actually marrying this girl? I can only imagine what she is like."

"I've heard nothing about her."

"Maybe she is nothing more than a rumor of his own propagation."

Makoto cleared her throat to regain Minako's attention. "Her name is Jacqueline. She had a brief affair with Kunzite once many months ago. To call it brief may even be an overstatement. He never returned her affections and when he declared it over she became bitter. This has nothing to do with you."

"Is he normally so callous that more of this can be expected?"

"I won't pretend to understand what happened between them." Makoto spared another glance over her shoulder at the two women whose voices had now dropped to a whisper. By chance, the brown haired woman looked over in their direction and recognized Makoto as they had met several times before.

"Makoto," she called out, leading the blonde by her hand to speak with Makoto.

"Sarah," she responded politely, exchanging a kiss on the cheek with the other woman. "It's been a while."

"I was away visiting some ill family."

"I hope all is well now."

"Fortunately."

Minako's eyes slid from the woman currently engaged in conversation with Makoto to the blonde standing at her side, only to realize that the other woman's eyes were already on her. The woman was slightly taller than Minako and somewhat fuller in figure. She was definitely beautiful to look at with sharp features and blonde hair that reached down to the middle of her back. There were maybe even more than just a few similarities between their physical attributes.

Makoto noticed the silent interaction between the women and spoke up, bringing their attention back to her. "This is my friend Minako, Serenity's cousin."

"A pleasure," Minako said, nodding her head politely.

"She's also Kunzite's fiancée." Minako couldn't help but to notice the slight satisfaction that rang in Makoto's voice.

Jacqueline looked Minako over critically and muttered under her breath, "of course you'd be." Realizing that the comment came out louder than she intended, she cleared her throat and smiled in a hollow effort to be polite. "How is the General doing these days?" she asked.

"Well I suppose…." Minako answered slowly.

Makoto watched as Jacqueline shot Minako a haughty look. "The four of them have been away for the past several weeks, but we're anticipating their return any day now."

"I see," Jacqueline replied, her eyes still watching Minako critically. "Kunzite was always notorious for up and disappearing."

"Have either of you been introduced to Serenity yet?" Makoto spoke up. "I'd be happy to make an introduction for you now if you'd like."

"If you wouldn't mind," Sarah responded. "Jacqueline?" she asked, looking over to her sister and hoping that this would serve as enough of a distraction to the stirring hostilities.

Jacqueline cast one last look over Minako, a fake smile still plastered on her pretty face. "Of course," she finally answered. Makoto ushered the two women away and looked back at Minako, rolling her eyes playfully. Minako smiled back, watching as Makoto led them over to Serenity. She could certainly understand now why Makoto had seemed displeased by their presence. Sarah was polite enough, although the genuineness of it could probably be debated, but Jacqueline was wholly unpleasant to be around. Three times she had taken shots at Minako, bringing Minako to the point where she was more than willing to break her imposed silence and retort. Fortunately Makoto had been quick to come up with that introduction as an excuse to end the conversation.

Minako choose this as the opportune time to slip away from the group, uneager to find herself in another confrontation. One of the palace guards noticed her wandering off and stopped her to make sure that she was ok. She assured him that she was fine and entered into a small store. A lone object sat near the shopkeeper and instantly she decided that it would make for the perfect gift for Kunzite.

She later exited the store to find Serenity and Makoto still in conversation with a slightly dwindling group of people. Rather than interrupt, she continued walking down the street, her eyes taking in the details all around her. This was the first time that she had been able to come here and was delighted by the sights. The towns surrounding her family's home were not as large as this one and carried items that were not nearly exotic as those laid out before her.

A hand reached out as she passed by an alley and pulled her into the darkened corridor. She was shoved into a doorway and was about to scream out, but was silenced by a calloused hand covering her mouth. With eyes wide, her panic finally passed when she found herself staring into a familiar pair of blue eyes. "Adonis," she whispered as he pulled his hand away. "You scared me."

"I didn't mean to," he answered apologetically, his eyes darting back to the busy street. "We don't have much time," he said quickly. "I want you to come away with me, leave Kunzite behind."

"I don't want to leave him," she said firmly. "He will be angry when he finds out that you approached me this way."

Adonis laughed and leaned forward towards her. "He'll do nothing, my sweet. I assure you that his infatuation with your looks has finally come to an end, although I will admit that it lasted longer than I would have expected." Her eyes filled with anger as she listened to him speak. "He summoned me to fight by his side during the day and I watched as he took a new lover for himself by night. How long did you think a girl like you could keep a man like him satisfied?"

"You're saying this out of spite," she countered. "He will return soon and then you'll see."

His eyes darted out to the busy street once more and she could see small beads of sweat pooling on his brow. "No, Minako, then you will see. He will return in a few days, and when he does he will come to you, make love to you, and tell you everything that you want to hear. By week's end you will just be another girl who warmed his sheets. He is marrying you as his prince has required him to do, and as a man true to his word he will allow for these nuptials to continue. Just know that once he has a son by you that he will no longer have any need for you." She pushed against his chest, trying to distance him from her with no success. "You can be as stubborn and foolish as you choose, but I promise you that he will prove me right." He pressed his lips firmly against hers, preventing her from saying anything further. "I know all your secrets, Minako," he whispered quickly against her cheek. "I know what you are afraid to tell him and what you are afraid to know – and you should be." He released his hold on her and took off down the alleyway as one of Endymion's guards came into view, yelling for him to stop.

Minako slid down the doorframe and to the ground, her dress pooling around her. She fought against herself to not let her tears show despite the cruelty and the possible truth of his words. One of the guards ran down the alley, following after Adonis while another ran over to her, looking her over frantically to make sure she was uninjured.

"Minako!" Serenity shouted. She ran over to her cousin and pushed the guards to the side, embracing the shaking girl. "What happened? Who was that?"

"No one," she whispered softly. "Just some petty street thief." She glanced down at her shaking hands now held tightly in Serenity's grasp. "He stole my bracelet."

"I'm sorry," she said, her eyes wide. "I hope it wasn't anything too meaningful to you. I'm afraid that we'll never be able to get it back."

"Small price to pay considering my other options," Minako smiled at an attempt to lighten the mood. "I'm fine Serenity, he just startled me."

"I wish you hadn't disappeared like that. It's not normally so dangerous here, but I guess you can never be too trusting."

"You're right, you never can be."

Minako placed her hand against the wall and started to pull herself off the ground. One of the guards quickly stepped in and helped to lift her up the rest of the way. Endymion's lead guard, the one who had introduced himself as Saphir, rounded up the remainder of his men and insisted that they return to the palace for everyone's safety. His words implied that Serenity was his concern, but his eyes moved from his men to land on Minako.

The lightning flashed brilliantly, illuminating even the darkest recesses of the room. A man with long silver hair laid stretched out on his stomach on a bed with a fur blanket covering the lower half of his body. His skin glowed with a deep tan from his time spent out in the sun giving him a golden appearance. Kneeling at his bedside rested a red headed woman whose hand was placed on his cheek. Her eyes were filled with bitterness as she watched the handsome man continue to sleep peacefully.


	9. Chapter 9

Finally - the new chapter 9 is done! Can you believe it's been 3 months since my last update for this story? Where does the time go? Thanks to everyone who has been reviewing and here is your long overdue update.

The beginning of this chapter starts out very similar to the old version (for those who have read that version). After this the chapters are all moving towards the new story line. I hope you all like the new version. Please review and let me know!

Thanks to Chibi Rose Angel for helping me with edits - your sequels are on the way!

* * *

The sound of Kunzite's boots hitting the stone floor echoed in the hallway. Jadeite kept up with the quick pace, matching him step for step as they made their way through the palace.

"Enough, Jadeite," Kunzite warned the blonde haired man.

"I suppose that my eyes deceived me much like the way that my ears now do the same," he stated firmly, a look of disgust written across his features.

Kunzite grabbed Jadeite by his jacket and pushed him against the wall. The younger man made no effort to fight the hold on him nor did he acknowledge the stern look he was being given. "You will say nothing more about this."

"And will you tell your fiancée yourself?" he challenged. Jadeite shoved Kunzite back a step and smoothed his jacket. "I thought that you changed your ways. Apparently I was wrong to believe you much like she was wrong to trust you."

Kunzite grabbed Jadeite's jacket in both hands this time. "If you don't know what you're talking about then perhaps you should stay silent," he growled ominously. Jadeite's hands grasped tightly on Kunzite's wrists, pushing back against the taller man.

"Kunzite!" Endymion shouted, running the length of the hall to approach the two men. He placed a hand on either man's chest attempting to separate them. "Kunzite," Endymion warned his first General, keeping his voice low. "Whatever this is about discuss it in private. I will not have my highest ranking Generals creating a scene like this." Kunzite held onto to the other man for a second longer before pushing him away. Jadeite pressed his hand against the wall to steady himself, his eyes full of venom for the silver haired man across from him. "Where have the two of you been?" Endymion demanded. "Nephrite and Zoicite returned a week ago."

"We would have returned sooner but someone was temporarily otherwise detained," Jadeite spat.

"I'm not going to warn you again, Jadeite," Kunzite growled.

"Then you should have thought twice about your actions since we both agree that they were regrettable."

Endymion pressed himself between the two men as Kunzite took another step towards Jadeite, attempting to keep a peaceful distance between them. "I want to know what's going on and I demand that one of you start talking now!"

"This is none of your concern," Kunzite rebutted quickly.

Shock passed across Endymion's face only to be instantly replaced by anger. "You are an extension of me," Endymion answered firmly. "When I ask you a question, you answer me."

"It's a personal matter that does not need to be reported to you."

"I will ignore your response and wait for you to give me the one that I am looking for," Endymion warned. He watched as Kunzite ground his teeth, the only visible flicker of reaction from the stoic man. It was a fine line that Kunzite was treading, a mixture of acceptance knowing that he could not refuse orders from the one man above him combined with a desire to jostle him and press him for silence much like he did to Jadeite.

"There is nothing to speak of," Kunzite's gaze cooled as his eyes met Jadeite's.

Jadeite's eyes narrowed in anger as he looked at the man across from him. A growl escaped his lips as he prepared to retort until he was silenced by a soft voice calling out from the hallway's entrance.

"Kunzite," Minako called out his name. All eyes turned to see her and Serenity walking briskly down the hall to approach them, a tall guard with dark red hair in tow. Minako held Serenity's hand tightly in her grasp, eyes wide at having watched the exchange between the two men that had been anything but courteous.

"Not now," Endymion responded to the girls, his gaze still fixed on Kunzite.

"Jadeite is needed in the infirmary," Serenity spoke up, her voice firm. "Rei's been in labor with the baby since last night and the doctor is concerned for her health."

The look on Jadeite's face immediately changed from anger to worry, yet he stood motionless, torn between his duty and his love. Endymion put his hand on Jadeite's shoulder and nodded his head, freeing Jadeite from his frozen state. Jadeite shook his head, absorbing the words being thrown at him, dread filling him at the thought of everything that could go wrong. He turned to Kunzite, looking at him with disappointment in his features. "You'll never know what the rest of us have."

"You're wrong," Kunzite replied. "I already do."

Without further instance, Jadeite grabbed Serenity's arm and began pulling her down the hallway, asking her to tell him all that he missed while he was away. Endymion turned back to Kunzite, ready to continue their argument when the silver haired general turned his back on him and crossed over to Minako, wrapping his arms tightly around her. A smile appeared on her face and he pressed his lips firmly against her temple, deeply inhaling the sweet floral scent that wafted from her hair. With a few murmured words that Endymion couldn't hear, they started walking down the hallway, Kunzite's arm keeping her smaller body firmly against his own.

Minako had heard through whispers passed among the palace's servants that Kunzite and Jadeite had returned. Without a second thought, she dropped the book that she had been reading and ran out the door, Serenity, and her assigned guard, quickly in tow. Neither woman had expected to see the two men embroiled in a battle of wits with Endymion attempting to mollify them. All of that was instantly forgotten though once Kunzite wrapped his arms around her. The weeks of loneliness and concern were quickly pushed aside as his lips brushed against her face, and now that his body was pressed against hers, there was nothing left but the two of them.

After the weeks that they had spent sleeping side by side with minimal intimate contact, she found his sudden eagerness to claim her very surprising. They had barely stepped into their shared room when he pulled her against him and began kissing her feverishly, his hands firmly holding her against him. He led her to the bed and laid her down, his body quickly resting over hers as her dress was discarded. She barely had the chance to react, words attempted to spill through her lips which were once again covered by his. Unlike their first time together, he seemed needier, his movements rough and random, almost bruising as he squeezed her breasts, his lips pressing against her neck. She gasped as he bit the flesh where her neck met her shoulder, his lips sucking on her skin as his tongue teased the area. The pain wasn't un-pleasurable though as she helped to undress him, her nails scratching against his back as he pushed himself into her. At that moment he was unable to notice any of it, his mind had been completely taken over by the intoxicating scent of her, only to have the sensations intensify as she arched her back, bringing herself completely against him. Time was lost to the couple, neither knowing if the encounter had last hours or only mere minutes, yet neither caring as they laid together afterwards.

As much as he wanted to stay in bed, wrapped in the comfort of her arms, he knew that he needed to speak with Endymion about their earlier encounter. His choice was to either wait to be summoned, which inevitably would happen, or to face the issue head on and deal with it before Jadeite allowed for it to spiral any further out of control. There were facts that needed to be understood and even more so, there were revelations that needed to be discussed. So with much regret on his part and subtle resistance from her, he extracted himself from her grasp and sought out the discarded remnants of his uniform. A teasing grin formed on his face as he handed Minako a pale yellow robe, playfully holding it just out of her reach so that she would have to rise from the bed to reach it. As she fastened the robe's tie around her waist he pulled her to him, stealing one more kiss before letting her slide away. His eyes shifted away from her full lips long enough to notice the dark spots that were forming around her neck, his first realization that he had been less than gentle with her.

"I kept my word," he finally said, breaking their imposed silence. "Every night as I fell asleep, it was your face that I thought of and it was you I dreamt of, my Mi-ko." She bit her lower lip, appearing childlike at that moment. His hands found their way into her hair, gently rolling the strands between his fingertips.

"I was afraid that something happened to you," she spoke softly, her eyes holding steady to his. "You were gone for so long."

"We were delayed," he answered her as simply as he could.

"Can you tell me now why you went away?"

"Why do we need to talk about this?" his voice was agitated, surprising her. He turned away from her and scooped up his belt and sheathed sword from the floor.

"I was only concerned," she responded.

"Have you ever travelled to the southern-most border of the kingdom?" he asked her, turning back to meet her gaze. She shook her head slowly. "Then I will bring you there. It's a different culture than what you are accustomed to here. There the temperature is always high, even late into the evening, and the sun always seems to be directly overhead. Many of the people stay indoors during the high point of the day just to stay cool. Jadeite and I learned that very quickly," he mused, a hint of laughter in his eyes. "We very happily traded in our uniforms for their much lighter style of dress."

"I would have liked to have seen that," she teased him, poking her finger playfully at his chest. "It's a rare occurrence that you are out of uniform."

"It was only a few minutes ago that you very resourcefully helped me to discard of this same uniform."

She rolled her eyes at him. "Yes, but I doubt very much that you would have traded in your uniform for something that….scant. Although if you had I'm sure you would have found yourself at least one admirer out of the crowd."

"I don't think I could have competed with Jadeite's charm though," he chuckled. "On one of our last nights there Jadeite had, had entirely too much to drink and allowed for the women to teach him how to dance. His tendency to act elaborately, even while stumbling over his own feet, earned him some admirers and I hate to think how many broken hearts he left behind in his wake."

"And what about you?" she asked quietly, her features softening, and maybe even a flicker of concern buried within the depths of her blue eyes.

"I was only concerned about the one that I left behind." He gently cupped her chin, staring deeply into her light blue eyes.

"And there is that silver tongue again," she laughed, pulling herself away from his gaze. "Always with just the right words."

He smiled, although it was a hollow effort as his eyes failed to fill with the same warmth that his curled lips offered. "It's a gift."

"To say the least," she responded before walking away from him. "Speaking of gifts," she said, pulling a small package from the nightstand by the bed. "I got this for you."

"A gift?" he repeated, taking the package from her. "For what?"

"I just wanted to get this for you."

He unwrapped the tan packaging to produce a golden pocket watch with a seal emblazoned on the back. "Where did you get this?" he asked, his eyes still taking in the familiar details inscribed.

"The storekeeper was very skilled at drawing. I was impressed that he was able to draw that insignia so perfectly, especially based on my memory alone."

"It's striking."

"I went into town last week with Serenity and Makoto."

"Does this have anything to do with why there was a guard with you and Serenity earlier?" he asked, his mind recalling their earlier encounter.

"An escort is all," she answered dismissively. Instantly, she could see that familiar look of annoyance and anger that would build up behind his eyes when he didn't receive the answer he was looking for from someone.

"An escort for Serenity or for you?"

"It was at Endymion's insistence. He's the only one who was really bothered enough."

Her indirect answer was enough to tell him who the intended person was. "That doesn't seem worth the effort of having guards on watch when he could have had one of Serenity's ladies stay at your side if it was for nothing more than concern. It would have been more appropriate to say the least."

"Some thief cornered me and stole some jewelry, nothing of any real value. We left immediately after that though," she said, trying to pacify him.

He fingered the golden pocket watch clutched tightly in his hand. "The thief was not concerned enough to rob you of this trinket as well?"

"There wasn't enough time. The guards who escorted us started to chase after him. It all happened so quickly."

"You're lying."

She frowned indignantly. "I'm not lying."

"Minako, it is my job separating the truth from everything else. You wear very little jewelry on a normal day if any at all. If the thief truly had so little time than I imagine that he would have had to rip the objects from your body," he grabbed her right wrist where a thin golden chain rested against her pale skin, "and since I don't see any marks on either your hand, wrist or neck, it leaves me to believe that things didn't happen as you said."

"You're making something out of nothing," she insisted, attempting to slip her wrist from his grasp.

As her hand started to slip away, his forefinger caught between her skin and the bracelet, pulling the chain taut against her wrist. She winced at the pinch of the chain digging into her skin. "I want the truth. I'm not Endymion and I guarantee you that I won't be nearly so easily appeased." Minako looked up at him warily. "Who approached you that made Endymion so nervous?"

She held her breath for a moment, not wanting to back down from Kunzite's prodding. His eyes held hers and she could feel her resistance fading. The stoniness of his expression left her with little wonder how most interrogations with him ended. "Adonis," she exhaled quickly. Silence ensued for another moment as he took in her answer.

Slowly he released her wrist, extracting his finger from where it had been trapped, and she reflexively held it against her chest, wiggling her fingers as the circulation rushed back into them. "Did he hurt you?"

"He wouldn't hurt me."

"He's wanted for treason. He'll do whatever it takes to help his cause get at the throne."

"Whatever it takes? Does that mean telling me truths or lies?"

"Tell me everything he said to you." He watched as she withdrew her eyes from his gaze. Whatever had been said clearly affected her. "You are the most important thing to me. I want to be able to protect you from all of this, but if you are going to lie or withhold the truth then I have no choice but to wonder at your intentions."

She looked back up at him, shocked by his implication of what may have happened during her encounter with the other man. "He said that you were with another woman," she responded angrily. "Maybe even more than one, I don't know. I didn't want to believe him. I didn't want to believe that you were capable of any of the terrible things he said, but maybe I should if you can still so willing make the same accusations to me."

"I would never do anything to intentionally hurt you," he answered quickly. "There is no more truth than my telling you that I wanted nothing more than to return to you and have you back in my arms," he responded, slowly pulling her to him. "I turned my back on Endymion earlier to take this time to be with you, which I can assure you I will pay for before this day is out."

"Why were you fighting with Jadeite? I saw the way you pushed him."

"We spent the last four days on horseback returning here. The ride was long and the weather didn't make for pleasant traveling conditions. It was nothing more than an argument."

"So what was it that he said you'll 'never know'?"

"He and Rei fell in love and chose to marry each other, we did not. It was a childish barb."

"You make everything sound so simple."

"Sometimes it is." He placed a chaste kiss on her forehead. "We'll have dinner together when I'm done meeting with Endymion, just the two of us. We've spent a great deal of time apart from each other and I don't want there to be any more." She nodded her head in quiet response. "Is Serenity still waiting for you?" he asked her, brushing his fingers through her hair.

"No. I'm sure Serenity is still waiting by Rei's bedside. I wouldn't want to be in the way."

"You and Rei speak so little that you don't want to visit her?"

"It's not so much that," Minako said carefully. "Sometimes things are what they are. Now go. I'll be here waiting for you." She gave him a gentle shove against his chest, pushing him towards the door. He placed his hands on top of hers, holding her palms against his chest and leaned in to kiss her one last time. She smiled in response, watching as he left the room. Once the door closed, she walked over to a nearby chair and dropped down into it, glancing back at the door.

"He will return in a few days, and when he does he will come to you, make love to you, and tell you everything that you want to hear."

Adonis's words rang in her mind. Is that what Kunzite had just managed to do? Would it be so terrible if she allowed herself to indulge in this fantasy a little bit longer? Although at the same time she thought about how he called her his 'Mi-ko' and a smile slowly crept across her face pushing out the darker thoughts. It was a small term of endearment to call her by some pet name, but coming from him it meant more than she would have thought.

It had fallen upon Saphir's shoulders to explain to Endymion what had happened during the ladies visit into town as the second in command to Endymion's personal guard – which was the reason that he was sent to go with the women in the first place. He paused outside of the door to the Prince's study and took a moment to check his appearance, making sure that his uniform was crisp and smooth. While he would want to look presentable under any conditions of seeing the prince in person, it was probably more so a habit driven into him by Kunzite than a normal prepping. He raised his hand and rapped his fist sharply against the dark mahogany door twice, pushing it open when he received an acknowledgment from within. Endymion appeared to be exhausted and ragged looking as he sat at a large oak desk, his eyes quickly scanning through the contents of a letter held firmly in his fingers.

Endymion looked up at the new arrival. "Saphir, I'm surprised to see you back so soon. Serenity said that she planned on spending most of the day away."

"That was the original plan," he responded calmly. "However there was an incident and I felt that it would be best if the ladies returned as soon as possible for their own safety."

Endymion put the letter face down on the desk, an obvious effort that did not go unnoticed by Saphir. Although the angle of the parchment did allow him to identify the remnants of the seal affixed at the top as belonging to Kunzite. "An incident?" Endymion repeated rising from his seat and leaned forward slightly as he placed both palms on his desk. "What type of an incident?"

"Serenity is fine," Saphir quickly responded. "It was with the Lady Minako. One of my soldiers saw her being accosted by someone wearing a dark gray uniform who ran off once he realized he had been spotted. We attempted to apprehend him, but he was able to disappear amongst the townspeople. I questioned her about the encounter, but she claimed it was nothing more than a thief who stole some jewelry."

"Is she ok now?"

"She's strangely almost completely unaffected by the whole incident."

"Where is she now?"

"With the doctor. Serenity wanted to have her checked out just to be sure that she really was as fine as she protested. There's no reason to take any chance in an instance like this."

"She has already been to see the doctor last week," Endymion muttered, his words barely carrying over to the dark haired soldier in the deep blue uniform. "Were you able to identify this man at all?"

"I have reason to believe that it was Adonis, although he was always so loyal to Kunzite that I could not imagine him doing anything to endanger her." Saphir watched Endymion's response closely, noticing that his eyes darted back to the letter briefly before returning to him. "Is everything all right, my prince?"

"I want you to place a guard on watch with her. Make sure she is attended to at all times. Once she's done with the doctor send her in to see me."

"Very well," Saphir answered, bowing his head. "Is there anything else?"

"Tell no one what we discussed today." Endymion sat back in his seat, his eyes clouding over as he mused over the conversation in his head. "You are dismissed," he said to Saphir, waving his hand towards the door.

Saphir bowed at the waist, watching Endymion's sudden change in reaction. Without another word he backed out of the room, shutting the heavy hard wood door behind him.

So what did this all mean, Endymion asked himself. Since the incident with Minako all actions with the rebel army seemed to have ceased. In the past week, there was not one raid, not one rebel uprising, not one attack on a member of his army or guard. It seemed to be a bit of a stretch to assume that the two things could be interrelated at all, but this was too big of a coincidence to ignore either. His wedding to Serenity was only 3 weeks away, with the coronation following a week after that. If there was ever a time to be concerned, this was it.

A soft knock on the door notified him of Kunzite's arrival. The tall General opened the door to Endymion's study and leaned stiffly against the wall with his arms crossed at his chest. His appearance gave the illusion of being calm and collected, but Endymion was sure that his thoughts would indicate otherwise. He rose from his seat behind the mahogany desk and gestured for the fair haired man in front of him to sit, but a quick shake of the head was his only response. Endymion sighed to himself and walked around to sit on the edge of the desk. He scuffed the heel of his shiny boots against the plush carpeting before crossing the restless leg across the other at the ankle. Kunzite remained silent and unmoving, allowing Endymion to start the dialogue and the line of questioning to resume where they had left off.

"How was your journey?" Endymion asked.

Kunzite raised an eyebrow at the simplicity of the question. "Long and arduous," came his brief response.

"I received the letter that you sent back. I'm surprised that Adonis was able to go undiscovered for as long as he did. How did you discern it was him?"

"We found an informant and with some….persuasion Jadeite was able to make him talk. The best lead we were able to obtain was the emergence of someone new – someone named Danburite. It sounds like he is someone high up in their ranks, but again, we were unable to get much more that than. Whoever is leading this front has taken every effort to keep their identity secret from even their own people. The only names we were able to extract were vague and non-sensible."

"Such as 'The Ghost'?"

"It sounds like Nephrite and Zoicite got the same responses."

"Indeed it does."

Silence passed between the two men for several moments before Kunzite finally spoke up. "I suppose you still want to know about the argument from earlier today."

"I'm disappointed that two of my highest ranking officers carried on that way in public eye let alone at all."

"It was a delicate situation and we both acted irrationally."

"Don't try to downplay the situation or try to make it appear less than it really was. I want the reason behind this and I only want to hear the facts."

"Jadeite claims that he saw me with another woman the day before we left to return here."

"And?" Endymion asked; a mixture of confusion and boredom on his brow. This admission was hardly worth the argument he had witnessed.

"He says that he saw me take her back to my room."

Endymion stood abruptly from where he was leaning on the desk and took a step towards Kunzite. "Kunzite." The disappointment was evident in his voice. "It's not my place to tell you what you can and cannot do in your personal affairs, but I would think that you would have the decency to remain faithful in your relationship with Serenity's cousin."

"It's not that simple."

"Of course. Whenever you involve so many people it does tend to get complicated."

Kunzite sighed and shifted against the wall, his first visible inclination of being uncomfortable throughout the conversation. "I don't remember any of this happening. There's no reason to think that Jadeite would have made this up, but I wouldn't have done that, not with Minako here waiting for me." He paused. "I have no recollection of the entire night leading up to that morning and I had nothing more than one drink with dinner. Short of something being slipped into my drink none of this makes sense. I don't even know that I actually touched the woman other than what little Jadeite claims he personally witnessed." Kunzite shook his head. "I just need to figure this all out. With everything that happened that morning, I was unable to get many of my questions answered."

"Did you tell Minako?"

"I can't tell her," he responded, annoyance written on his features.

"You're making a mistake if you think that this will remain quiet. The walls tend to have ears and even I can't guarantee that Jadeite will say nothing. He's angry over what he saw and I think we both know how unpredictable he can be under these circumstances."

"He won't say anything," Kunzite answered confidently. "Once I've spoken to him, this will all be forgotten."

"Jadeite has always had the utmost respect for you, even when he denies it, he admires you. I can only imagine the disappointment that he felt when he found you to be more human than he believed. Now to solve this issue you will pull rank on him rather than deal with it? You're going down a path that I think we both know is not going to end well."

"And if I tell her what happened - without being able to explain how it happened, I think we both know that I will lose her."

"Does she really mean that much to you?"

"How do I know that he loves me?" Minako asked Endymion, her head tilting slightly to the side. "How do I know that I didn't just make a huge mistake?"

"Maybe you would like to ask me an easier question, perhaps why does a cat meow?" he said, attempting to lighten the mood in the room with no success. "Minako," he leaned forward in his seat, elbows on his desk hands clasped under his chin, "I can't even pretend to assume to know what he's thinking. While he does confide in me on some things, his relationships have generally been off limits. His protective nature of you is definitely a sign of his feelings - that much I can assure you."

"For a time I thought that maybe he was starting to, but I'm concerned that once he returns he'll prove me wrong." She paused and glanced down at her lap, timid in asking her next question. "There's something that I need to know, and I hope that you will answer me truthfully. Did Kunzite agree to marry me because you told him to or because he wanted to?"

"What's bringing this on?"

"I think it's a fair question."

"Have you asked him yourself?"

"I could never. But I need to know. Why did you arrange for this marriage?"

"Because you needed each other. Serenity told me about your situation at home with your father and asked me to help. There was very little that I could do, but I wanted to do something. It was actually Serenity who wanted me to introduce the two of you in particular. Although our attempt failed as you both missed each other by seconds. After that it was too late since he was involved with someone else at the time."

"Catherine," she said, interrupting him.

"Catherine," he repeated, nodding his head. "The first time that Kunzite saw you though, I could see you held his interest. He was curious about you even if he would never admit it. It wasn't until after everything between Catherine and him ended that I brought up the idea of his marrying you. At first he declined, so I let it go. Not too long after that he brought the idea back up with me. I don't know why he changed his mind, I never asked."

"Did he love Catherine?"

"Catherine was something else," Endymion leaned back in his seat as he answered. "He told me that he didn't love her, and he told me that she said she loved him, but he didn't seem to believe her. I'm not sure what his fascination was with her, to be honest I'm not even sure that he even liked her. Jadeite told me about a conversation he had with Kunzite about her towards the end and, while I won't repeat the context, it seems he wasn't with her for any reasons other than to satisfy his libido." Endymion frowned as he recalled the other portions of that conversation as well. "Kunzite is an honest man. He will not lie about his intentions to you or for you."

"But would he marry me because of you?"

"No," Endymion answered with firm resolve. "You should discuss this with him. I'm sure that he can better ease your concerns that I can."

"That's the problem, Endymion. He always has just the right words. Sometimes I'm not sure if he's speaking to me from his heart or if it's all random words that he has managed to throw together into perfect prose."

"I understand what you mean. He has managed to derail my thoughts from time to time as well," he mused. "I really wish that I could give you better answers or be more helpful, but when it comes to my lead general I'm in the dark nearly as much as you are."

"You've been extremely helpful," she hurriedly responded. "You at least give me the honest answer. I love Serenity dearly, but she is too optimistic." Minako rose from her seat.

Endymion stood up as well and gestured for her to sit back down. "There is something more that I wanted to discuss with you. I'd like to talk about what happened earlier today." He watched as she slowly sat back down and he followed suit. "Why did you say it was a thief that approached you when really it was Adonis? He's a dangerous man, Minako."

"To prevent all of this fuss from occurring. Adonis wouldn't hurt me."

"How can you be so sure?"

"For the simple fact that he has been proclaiming his love for me since I first encountered him."

"Does Kunzite know this?" Endymion asked, frowning in concern.

"Not completely," Minako answered slowly, noticing the tension in his hand as his fingers paled from pressing so firmly against the table. "I didn't want to make him angry. There was an instance before, between Kunzite and I that did not end very well. I knew that it was a problem, but I didn't want to give Kunzite any reason to worry either. It just all seemed nonsensical before, things of sordid affairs, nothing that would really happen. Does that make sense at all?"

"Not really," Endymion smiled pleasantly.

"Which is all the more reason why these measures are unnecessary." She rose from her seat, her clasped hands resting in front of her. "I really do appreciate your concern, but I insist that you relieve the guard who's been following me around all afternoon. I'm sure there is a better usage for him than to have him shadow me as I have tea with Serenity. Besides, Kunzite will return in a few days and I'm sure that I will never be safer than when I am at his side."

"Or so he's been notorious for reminding me as well." Endymion rose from his seat and walked around the desk, placing his hand lightly on Minako's shoulder. "As curious as I am to know why Adonis chose now to reveal himself, I'd rather not wait until he's had the opportunity to find you alone again. He's dangerous whether or not you want to admit it. Just please humor me for the time being."

"You're hardly giving me a choice in the matter."

"Of course you have a choice. You can either willingly let him follow you around or you can make it difficult and exit rooms from secret entrances so that he will spend hours searching the palace for you. Although you didn't hear that last part from me." He led her towards the door and paused as his hand rested on the handle. "I know that you haven't been happy here these past few weeks and I wish that there was more that I could do for you other than offer a few words of comfort."

"You've done more for me than I could possibly ever thank you for."

* * *

Authors Note: In case the name Jacqueline sounds familiar to anyone - she's one of my original characters who had a 30 second spot in my other story. But you don't need to read that story to get this part. That story is on my list of rewrites as well...hmm...


	10. Chapter 10

Sorry for the delay in posting this new chapter. I've been having a difficult time deciding where I'm going to go with this story and I think that I finally made sense of all my notes. Whew!  
Thanks to everyone who has been sticking with me on these slow updates, and thank you thank you thank you for those who reviewed. I love hearing all feedback! So without further ado...

* * *

It was only a short while later after Kunzite's discussion with Endymion that he heard that Rei had had the baby and that all was well. The news made him feel as if at least some small weight had been lifted from his shoulders, knowing that everything would at the very least be okay for her. After all the health concerns that the couple had been through and the previous failed attempt at pregnancy, they deserved this bit of happiness.

Unfortunately, Kunzite coming face to face with Jadeite had dampened the new father's mood. Kunzite attempted to talk to Jadeite, but Jadeite quickly dismissed him, first refusing to hear anything that he had to say, then deciding that he needed to get something for Rei to eat from the kitchen. Makoto had been sitting by Rei's side holding the baby, but excused herself to allow Kunzite and Rei a few moments to speak, laughing as she called him 'Uncle Kunzite'. Refusing to allow the bundle in her arms to leave her sight, she took the newborn with her out of the room.

Rei rested in one of the infirmary beds with several pillows propped up behind her. She looked exhausted but still held a smile firmly on her face. "You couldn't have come back any sooner?" she chuckled. "Or was this about making a grand entrance?"

"Better late than never right?" he asked, sitting in the chair near her bed.

"I don't think I've ever known you to be late," Rei commented.

"I don't think that's really what you're concerned about."

"He's very angry with you right now," she responded. "You must have done something pretty terrible to get this type of reaction."

"I did."

"It doesn't bother you that he's disappointed by you?"

"It's not his prerogative that counts."

Rei snorted as she crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Deny all you want, I know it bothers you. The four of you are so close that when something goes wrong it's like throwing a large stone into a small pond. The strength of the ripples is amplified and felt all over."

"He and I will talk later."

"Where is your fiancée?" she asked, casually changing the subject.

"Somewhere in the palace I'm sure. I've been with Endymion and haven't seen her since I returned."

"Follow the trail of besmitten guards; I'm sure you'll find her more easily that way."

"I would've assumed that she'd have driven them to the brink of insanity for following her around these past few days. She can be quite determined when she sets her mind to something."

"A quality you obviously look for in a wife."

"It's a rare feat to find someone more stubborn than I am….or so I've been told." He cocked his eyebrow as he looked over at Rei who in turn smiled at his own jab.

"You want to marry her?"

"I want to marry her," he said firmly.

Rei put her hand on her chest and gasped playfully. "The mighty Kunzite has finally fallen?"

"She's different."

"Different enough?" Rei asked, the seriousness returning to her voice.

"Yes," he answered with a smile. "She has no problem with letting me know what she thinks. Although at the same time she can be quite timid when she's unsure of herself, but I find that endearing. There's no hidden agenda with her, no demands, she just is."

"I have to be honest, I didn't think that this was going to last. You seem unsettled so much of the time."

"Of course that would have nothing to do with the job," he answered teasingly to which Rei rolled her eyes in mock annoyance. "I don't want to talk about me though, I'm sure I've bored you enough. How do you feel?"

"Better," she answered, brushing some strands of her hair behind her ear. "I was scared for a while there that I might lose the baby."

"But now you have a healthy son."

"Jadeite is already talking about outfitting him for a General's uniform," she chuckled. "We have yet to agree on a name and he's already enlisted him into Endymion's guard. I asked if we could wait until he was walking at least, but apparently that is too long."

"And he laughs about my penchant for military prowess. I think my name can finally be cleared."

"Let's not jump to any conclusions now," she teased him. "Some things don't change that easily."

"Rei," Serenity said, entering the room with the baby held tightly in her arms and Makoto following after her. "Oh, I hope we're not interrupting anything. I didn't realize that you were still here, Kunzite."

"I was just leaving," he said rising from his seat. "I'm sure Rei would rather talk with the both of you than be bothered by me." He bent over Rei and kissed her forehead lightly. "I'll stop by to see you later," he said softly. As he walked out of the room, he peered over Serenity's shoulder to look at the face of the sleeping baby resting against her chest. "He looks just like his father," he mused.

"Yes, he does," Rei answered with a smile on her face.

Time passed quickly after that with no sightings of the rebel army. Three weeks had gone by in silence leaving Endymion and his Generals somewhat anxious over what might be building up. The wedding was to be that morning with the coronation following the week after. If there was ever a time for a surprise attack this was surely it. The palace was put on high alert and many extra guards were pulled in to help cover the palace grounds. With the inflow of hundreds of wedding guests, it was difficult to secure the grounds, but they could not allow for the activities to be delayed. Endymion could not officially be crowned King until one week after his marriage and he hoped that this final anointment would be enough to bring him the support of the surrounding kingdoms in bringing down his opposition. Many of these rebel leaders were former supporters of his father who he knew would not be happy until they could remove him from power, although who they intended to place on the throne remained a complete mystery even at this point.

The morning passed uneventfully as everyone prepared for the upcoming ceremony. The palace chapel had been prepped over the past couple of days with every inch being thoroughly cleaned and then tastefully decorated with ornate flower arrangements set along the platform where the ceremony would take place. Ribbons, displaying the royal family's colors of gold and silver, were hung from the walls. The magnificence of the room was only multiplied by the changes that it had undergone with the sun reflecting colors of the spectrum through the stained glass windows that rested high on the front wall.

Serenity's ladies-in-waiting rushed around her trying to get her dressed and made up. They were already running late that morning after having to chase her down, successfully foiling an attempt for her to meet with Endymion secretly before the ceremony. Many of the older women were superstitious by nature and warned her that it was bad luck for her to see him any sooner. They did, however, finally concede to agreeing to deliver a note in order to appease Serenity. Once Minako was ready, she made her way over to Serenity's room to check in on her cousin.

"Oh, Serenity! You look beautiful!" Minako gushed.

Serenity's dress was made of layers of satin held into shape by layers of cremlen underneath. The gown was designed with an open neckline, the edges of the sleeves formed at the tops of her shoulders. Her sleeves fell smoothly down the length of her arm, the underside falling well past her fingers, hanging like soft bells at her sides. Most noticeable was the silver embroidery sewn around the waistline which started just below her chest and fell softly to the ground, trailing down the edges of the top dress layer. The train of the dress was about six feet long with more embroidery running down the length. She held her veil in her hand as one of the women tried to pin her long lengths of hair back.

"I'm terrified," Serenity answered weakly. "What if I trip over my dress or I say the wrong thing? I wish this didn't have to be such a large affair."

"Nothing will go wrong today," Minako said soothingly. "It's the magic of weddings, no matter what everything will go right."

Serenity turned to look at Minako much to the dismay of the woman who was still fighting to secure her hair with small pins. "You and Kunzite will be married soon as well."

"Just a couple more months now," Minako agreed quietly. "Although Kunzite and I have both agreed to a much smaller and more simple ceremony. Today is about you though. I just wanted to make sure that all was well with you before I headed over to the chapel. I'd hate to risk losing my seat."

"Thank you, Minako," she said thoughtfully, squeezing her cousin's hand. "We'll talk more later."

"Too much later and I'll be addressing you as either My Queen or Your Majesty," Minako laughed, pulling her hand free of Serenity's tightening grasp.

"And as my cousin you will be dubbed with your own title of Marques."

"I don't think I can get used to that title," Minako groaned.

A knock on the door caught both girls attention and they turned to see Rei entering the room. She was dressed in a deep purple dress that brought out the natural highlights in her hair. Despite having just had a baby, she had dropped most of her weight already, fortunately fitting in her dress after only a few alterations. "Should I be surprised that you're still not ready?" Rei said teasingly to Serenity.

Serenity stuck out her tongue playfully and turned back to face the mirror at the insistence of the woman who was nearly finished with her hair. "But I'm willing to bet that you're surprised that I'm this ready."

"That's true," she answered, her eyes crinkling with laughter. Her attention turned to Minako who was dressed in a simple pink gown. "Did you want to walk to the chapel with me? We should be going now otherwise Serenity will be in here forever."

"Not forever!" Serenity insisted while pouting. "Endymion and I have plans for later…." She intentionally left the rest of her sentence unsaid, playfully winking at the two girls in the mirror.

"You are shameless," Rei teased her.

"But at least Endymion and I waited," she rebutted.

"Jadeite saw nothing until our wedding night," Rei protested.

"I didn't say I was talking to you," she replied in a sing song voice, her eyes darting to Minako's reflection and laughing as her cousin's cheeks turned pink.

"Serenity," Rei spoke up. "Do I need to remind you of the time that Jadeite and I caught the both of you alone in the garden that one day? I'm pretty sure that you wouldn't have left your room with your dress and hair in that much of a disarray." Serenity's eyes opened wide in shock at recalling that incident. "Exactly," Rei said triumphantly before turning her attention towards Minako. "Are you ready?"

Minako nodded her head and the two girls bade Serenity farewell before exiting and heading towards the chapel.

Rei smiled softly. "The four of them certainly have an undeniable charm. At times I would allow myself to get carried away by Jadeite's words, and it certainly took plenty of restraint to tell him otherwise."

"Have the two of you been married long?"

"Three years. For the longest time I had no intentions of marrying him after we first met. I thought he was so arrogant and it made me so angry to hear him talk about himself." She paused to chuckle to herself. "Jadeite claims that I made him nervous, but I think he was asking Nephrite for advice on how to approach me. Nephrite and I have known each other for a while as well and, as I'm sure you've seen, he can have an interesting sense of humor." Rei's gaze softened as she thought back on her memories. "Jadeite says that he knew all along that we were meant to be and he insisted that I would marry him one day. To prove it, he went to my father and asked for permission to marry me. At that time my father said no as Jadeite was still just a soldier of low ranking –even Kunzite had yet to gain his rank as General. But eventually things changed and he became one of Endymion's four. It was then that he asked my father again and this time he was told yes."

"I didn't realize that yours was an arranged marriage," Minako said thoughtfully. "I was sure that Kunzite said otherwise."

"Kunzite should know better than most what happened. He and I have known each other since we were small children. Our families were close friends and more often than not socialized in the same circles."

Minako chewed her bottom lip as she listened to Rei speak, finally breaking the ensuing silence. "I didn't know about you and Kunzite."

"Kunzite and me?" Rei asked, confusion evident in her voice.

"That the two of you were once together. I suppose that's why things have been so awkward between us." Rei stopped walking and started laughing, placing one hand on her stomach and the other over her mouth. Minako stopped walking several steps ahead and turned back towards the raven haired girl. "I'm sorry," she said quickly. "I shouldn't have said that."

"No," Rei responded, trying to suppress her laughter. "That's not it. It's Makoto isn't it? She has the wildest imagination sometimes." Rei slipped her arm through Minako's and led her down the hall. "We've always just been friends, nothing more. Trust me, he and Jadeite wouldn't be such good friends if there had ever been more."

"They haven't been very friendly as of late though."

"Because they're both being pig-headed."

"I think it has something to do with me. Jadeite apologized to me once, but he wouldn't explain why."

"Jadeite won't speak to me about what happened either and when I do ask he becomes agitated." As they neared the chapel, Rei pulled on Minako's arm and they stopped short of the doors. "You were right, that it is because of Kunzite that we couldn't be friends. He's been involved with many women that sought to use him for his rank or wealth or proximity to the Prince. Not that he's been an angel either. Many of the women he used for his own wants and rather cruelly at that. When we were introduced, I assumed that you would be no different than any of the previous. To be honest I didn't believe that you were any more serious at getting married than I believed him to be."

The church bells began to ring overhead. "And now we're going to find ourselves being later than Serenity." Rei grabbed Minako's hand and pulled her along as they ran through the large doors. Once inside they slowed their gait to a walk and proceeded down the red carpeted aisle to the front row on the right side where Makoto and Ami sat waiting for them. Rei sat next to Makoto who immediately started pointing towards where Nephrite stood, whispering words that left Rei giggling. Minako sat between Rei and Ami, exchanging greetings with the inky haired girl next to her. Organ music played lightly in the background as the last noon chime finished ringing.

On the platform ahead of them stood a man dressed in ornate gold and white robes, prepared to begin the ceremony. Two of Endymion's Generals stood positioned along the far walls of the platform scanning the room as the last of the guests found themselves seats in the rows of benches. They were dressed in their formal armor and positioned as if they were there for ceremonial purposes rather than for security. Nephrite stood on the left side of the room while Kunzite stood to the right. Jadeite was assigned to watch over Serenity as she was brought to the chapel in the guise of an escort, while Zoicite was responsible for Endymion's security. Jadeite entered the room from a side door and came to stand next to Kunzite, a deep frown marring his features. Minako looked over to Kunzite and smiled brightly as he met her gaze.

"You don't deserve her," Jadeite spoke lowly at watching the exchange.

"No, I don't," Kunzite muttered. "I don't think anyone does."

"No," Jadeite answered solemnly. "I just want you to tell her the truth. It's what she deserves. It was you after all who..."

"Enough!" Kunzite hissed through his teeth, turning his head sharply to look at Jadeite.

Both men looked towards the back of the chapel where the large doors slowly opened to reveal Endymion and Serenity standing arm in arm, Zoicite slipping in behind them before the doors closed. "For Endymion this will wait. But not for you."

Kunzite cast his eyes over to Minako one last time before returning his attention to the couple walking down the aisle towards him. It seemed like so long ago that he had traveled to Serenity's family home and escorted her to the Palace. She spoke of her cousin and he quickly dismissed her words thinking that he would have no interest in this elusive girl. But here he was dedicating so much of his time to the one person he wrote off without a second thought. They would be married soon, and while the thought still left him with feelings of uncertainty, he knew that she made him happy and that he would do the same for her. In the two months since she first confessed her love for him, she had only said it once more to him in a whisper while she thought he was asleep. Yet he could not say those words back. It wasn't that he felt no love for her because she was the most important thing in his life. Maybe it was his fear that he would love her more than his prince or that he would resent his days of traveling knowing that she would be lying in bed alone awaiting his return. It did terrible things to his mind thinking about her in that bed as well. She was not the best lover that he had been with as she was much less experienced than most, but she still felt perfect pressed against him and was always eager to learn more from him. Somehow, the perfect balance he had constructed in his life had all been thrown off just by the sight of her smiling face.

The ceremony seemed to pass by quickly as Kunzite's thoughts were otherwise preoccupied. As the words of the man in the white and gold robe came to a close, Kunzite signaled for Zoicite and Jadeite to silently exit from their respective doors and to be ready for the exit of Endymion and Serenity. Nephrite remained on his side of the platform and scanned the crowd as people started to file out behind their future King and Queen.

Endymion knew that he would not be able to keep the heightened security or the reason behind it a secret from Serenity. Rather than admit his full concerns, he only shared his worries over her safety, disguising the security as a precautionary watch over her. She was originally uncomfortable with the suggestion but Endymion assured her that under Kunzite's guidance the guards' presence or visibility would be at a minimum. He was pleased that Kunzite did not disappoint in his security plans.

As the room began to empty, Rei and Ami exited to follow after Serenity. Nephrite approached Makoto and wrapped his arm around her, placing a kiss against her temple. They whispered conspiratorially to each other, following after their friends. Kunzite finally approached Minako and lightly brushed his lips against hers before leading her from the room. They walked in comfortable silence through the florally lined halls into the courtyard where the guests were either finding themselves seats or walking along the tables filled with an assortment of food and elegant dessert displays. Entertainers had been hired with performers standing in the center juggling an assortment of fruits and other objects, while a woman was singing to the music being played by the small band of musicians behind her. Some couples had taken to dancing while most admired their prince and his bride who sat regally on their thrones watching over the event.

"Is it wrong that I envy them?" Minako said quietly to Kunzite.

"Only if you're that unhappy with what you have."

She smiled at his attempt at humor. "They make it seem so easy."

"He's afraid for her safety right now, that's part of the reason why he's holding her hand so tightly. Not to take away from their romantic moment of course," he added.

"Is that why you're holding mine?" she asked glancing down at where their fingers were interlocked.

"I thought I might have one dance with you before we parted ways, Mi-ko," he answered while pulling her towards him.

"Perhaps you've never been properly taught to dance," she laughed, putting a small amount of space between their bodies. "Standing this close isn't dancing."

"I spent the better part of my childhood being prepared for court life. It's unfortunate that I have to admit that there is not one dance that I haven't been taught."

"Then by all means, you may take the lead," she teased him, taking a step back while clasping both his hands.

He pulled her back towards him and wrapped his arms around her. "This is as close to a dance as you'll ever get from me. Even Endymion's wedding isn't motivation enough."

"You were always the romantic type weren't you?"

"Romance takes all forms, Minako," he murmured against her hair, his warm breath tickling her cheek before pulling back to look at her face. "Some people cover their insecurities with lavish gifts while others define their affection with a single object of great importance." His voice held her full attention as she stared into his eyes, listening to him talk while he swayed her back and forth. "Then of course there are always flowers, but why celebrate love with a beautiful object that withers and dies well before its time?"

"And what about sweets?" she asked playfully. "'A sweet for a sweet' as they say?"

"A brief moment of pleasure from one delectable bite followed by the ensuing disappointment of not having a second one? A sign of a short lived romance."

"Really? Or does your displeasure from sweets stem from the fact you had to have your uniform refitted for today's event?" she asked as she teasingly poked at his midsection.

He frowned as he recaptured her hand, even though he knew that her finger poke was in jest. Yet she still had a point that for the first time in many years he needed to have the seams adjusted on his uniform – regardless of how small an adjustment it was. While he wanted to credit this change to an increased workout regiment, he knew that this was hardly the case when he in fact found himself cutting back so that he had the additional time with her. It seems he would no longer be able to make the same jokes to Endymion without having them repeated back to him.

His hand released hers and rested itself on her hip, his fingers tapping against the soft pink material of her dress, pressing against the corset underneath as a slow smile spread across his lips. "Then I suppose that this corset you have suddenly started wearing has only been to keep in trend with the latest fashions?"

She blushed and swatted his hand away, quickly returning their conversation back to the original topic. "So what is the acceptable form of romance then since we both agree on the matter of the sweets?"

"A promise."

"A promise signifies things to come and not things to be had," she countered, her eyebrows raising in interest.

"Would you prefer a pendant of precious stones to show my shallow display of affection? An arrangement of red roses that will never really compare to your beauty and will last you but a few nights? Or my promise that I will always cherish you? That you will be the most important person to me."

"You can't say it, can you?" she asked sadly, her body no longer moving in time with his.

"Do the words matter that much?"

"They shouldn't, but they do."

"Mi-ko….I…"

"Not today," she interrupted him. "We don't need to talk about this today." She slipped out of his grasp, but kept their hands clasped together, taking a moment to look over the people surrounding them. Rei and Jadeite stood across the way near one of the ice sculptures which was starting to glisten from the heat of the soon to be setting sun. Jadeite appeared to be in one of his brooding moods for which he had become infamous for as of late. Rei stood in front of him with her hands cupping his cheeks either in an effort to cheer him up or hold his attention, from this angle Minako couldn't be sure. Although barely a moment later Jadeite shook her off, words of obvious protestation pouring from his lips as his scowl subsided. "Kunzite," she looked back over to him, turning her attention away from the other couple. "Can I ask you something?" He nodded his head signaling for her to continue. "Didn't you say that Rei and Jadeite's marriage wasn't arranged?"

He looked at her with surprise. "Did I?"

"I was talking to Rei earlier today and she told me that her marriage had been arranged."

"Because it was."

"Then why did you tell me it wasn't."

"I don't recall telling you otherwise."

"That day that I saw you and Jadeite fighting, the day you returned to the palace, Jadeite said to you that you would never 'have what they already have' – or something similar to that. I asked you what that meant and you said it's because they fell in love on their own."

"They did eventually."

"After it was already arranged."

"Why are you asking me about this?" She could hear the slight agitation rising in his voice.

"Because what it was you said that Jadeite meant wasn't the truth."

"You think I intentionally lied to you?" he said, looking down on her, his eyes a dark shade of grey.

She paused, deciding how much further she should push him. "Yes."

"Have I ever been less than truthful with you?"

"Up until this morning I would have said no, but now I wonder." She looked into his eyes and could already see him preparing his response to her. He always had just the right the words to say. "You're not going to tell me what I want to hear right now. I can already see it in your eyes."

"Minako," he said lightly, switching to use her full name as some of the party guests walked by them. Some members of the group made an effort to not stare at the stiff positioning of the couple, while others spoke in soft voices, not bothering to cover that they were speaking of the two.

Minako could feel his posture changing, his body no longer relaxing into her's, and she knew that if she leaned forward even the slightest bit, that she would feel the distance that appeared between them. "If you won't tell me the truth, then don't say another word," she warned, pulling her hand from his. "Something happened while you were away that caused this bitterness between you and Jadeite. I don't understand why you won't tell me about it. Why did he apologize to me?"

"I'd like to know the same," he responded firmly.

"Then why won't….you…." Kunzite's attention shifted away from her as soon as she started speaking and she turned her head to see where his gaze had drifted off too. Zoicite and Nephrite were engaged in a heated conversation that Jadeite had wandered over to join in on. "Kunzite?" she asked, her voice full of concern.

"Something's wrong," he muttered. "Stay by Serenity until I return."

"But I…" She didn't have the chance to finish this sentence either, as Kunzite briskly walked away.

Kunzite approached the three Generals and looked to them for an explanation as their hushed whispers ceased at his arrival. "What happened?"

"Our security's been breached." Zoicite answered quickly. "Some guards posted at the Southern entrance were found tied up and unconscious. I'm not sure how many were able to get by."

"How long ago did this happen?" Kunzite asked.

"We don't know," Nephrite responded. "I spoke with Saphir and he said that they were supposed to be changing shifts at this time. When the replacement guards got there the men were found that way. Apparently it could have been anywhere from ten minutes to a half hour ago."

"We need to secure Endymion and Serenity without alerting the other guests." Jadeite said, looking around to see them fully involved in some complicated dance step amongst the other celebrators.

"No," Kunzite interjected. "This is all a rouse. They want us looking the wrong way. If this was a real attack they would have killed the guards, not just tied them up."

"You think they're on the palace grounds just to enjoy the celebration?" Jadeite asked snarkily.

"Kunzite's right," Zoicite responded. "But nothing else seems out of sorts," he said as his eyes scanned the people around him. "I can only assume that some part of the palace has been compromised and whoever did this is hoping that is where we will be headed."

"So we do nothing?" Nephrite asked.

"We wait," Kunzite said. "Where are those guards now that were tied up?"

"Either released or sent to the infirmary."

"Find them. Every one of our soldiers has been put on high alert and I can't imagine that someone would be able to so easily gain entrance to the grounds without a sound."

"Did you speak with the men?" Nephrite asked Zoicite.

"No, I spoke with Saphir who said that he would deal with this."

"Alert Jadeite once those men have been found, he will talk to them. As soon as Saphir returns I want him brought to me. In the meantime I will watch over Endymion and Serenity," Kunzite said firmly, waiting for an acknowledgement from the three other men before walking calmly away and heading towards the thrones where he could retain his closest vantage point of the newly wedded couple, his argument with Minako forgotten in the face of this new threat.

Minako drifted around afterwards, sometimes finding herself with Serenity, other times finding herself surrounded by groups of people she didn't even know the names of. True to Makoto's word, many of the guests spoke with her out of their curiosity to know more about the girl who was marrying the last of Endymion's Generals. Some spoke of politics and others asked her questions that nearly made her blush out of their personal nature. At some point, she found herself with a glass of champagne in her hand and took a sip from it after raising it to a toast, faintly noticing how it tasted more bitter than sweet. She finished the contents none the less and continued to make her way through the shuffle of people.

All throughout the day, up until now in the early evening, she noticed that Serenity and Endymion never parted company. He kept her by his side and she didn't seem to mind his close proximity. Minako couldn't help but to wonder how much of it at that moment was compassion, and how much was Endymion's protective nature as Kunzite had stated.

Nearby her father stood with Serenity's parents as well as many other noticeable people from court. He applauded Serenity's parents and wished them good fortune, all the while making sure to speak of his own daughter's upcoming nuptials. It was no surprise to her that he would steal this moment in order to brag of his own good fortune. Although she had no doubt that despite her "good fortune" to be marrying the "good General", he would much rather be in the place of Serenity's parents and relaying his joy at his daughter becoming Queen. He had always made clear to her what a disappointment she had been at being born a woman instead of as the son that he truly desired.

That was the last thing she remembered as things began to blur, people's faces all blending together until she could barely tell one from another. It wasn't even that she remembered drinking more than the one glass of champagne that she would feel this way, but somehow she went along with the feeling, allowing one dancing partner after another to take her hand, spinning her around while coordinating the complicated dance steps. She felt warm from being in the center of so many people and stumbled trying to break free of the crowd. An arm came to rest around her shoulders and helped to escort her out, the cool air hitting her face once they were out of the group helped to clear her head. She glanced over and noticed that her savior was one of Endymion's guards by his uniform. His face seemed so familiar to her, but in her haze she couldn't quite place his name.

"Thank you," she murmured to her rescuer, allowing him to continue to hold her up.

"Perhaps a little too much to drink tonight," he said in a friendly tone.

"I wouldn't have thought so," she answered as coherently as she could.

"A little fresh air should help to clear your head."

"Maybe…" They continued to walk further away from the other partygoers, headed towards the outskirts of the gardens. "What's your name?"

"Rubeus."

"Rubeus," she repeated. "I thought you were relieved from following me around now that Kunzite's back," she said playfully, recognizing him as the guard Endymion had assigned to shadow her after the incident with Adonis.

"Yes, but now he's gone again, Minako."

"Minako?" she asked. The mention of her name made her a little more alert. None of the guards, soldiers or staff called her by her first name. It wasn't so much that she minded the use of her name, in fact she would have preferred it over the other titles that were normally used, it was the fact that he said her name so clearly without correcting himself.

"That's your name." He stated it as a fact, maybe not realizing the implications of her questions.

"Where's Kunzite?" she asked, her body tensing under his touch. "He told me to stay by Serenity." Minako tried to turn back after looking over her shoulder to realize how far away they were, but stumbled and nearly fell if not for the strong arms holding her up. "What's wrong with me?" she asked weakly as Rubeus continued to lead her forward.

"Keep walking." His arm tightened around her as she stumbled.

"I need to sit down," she choked out. "I think I'm going to be ill."

"We're not stopping."

She tripped either from the rough ground or over her own feet and reached out with her arms to steady herself, causing both of them to nearly lose their balance. Rubeus grabbed her with his other hand to catch her which only further tangled their limbs together. She held tightly to his jacket, burying her face against his shoulder as her vision started to spin around her.

"How much did you give her?" a new person asked. There was a familiarity to the voice that she couldn't quite place. The arms around her slowly lowered her to the ground and she was thankful as it helped to ease the feeling of nausea that was starting to overcome her. She placed her hands on the ground, grasping tightly onto the cool blades of grass trying to anchor herself to stop the spinning sensation.

"I gave her exactly what you gave me." That was Rubeus's voice. What did he give her?

"Minako." The owner of the new voice knelt in front of her and placed his hand on her cheek.

She looked up and found herself looking into a pair of blue eyes, no less crazed looking than when she had last seen him. "Adonis, what did you do?" She asked fearfully, tears starting to fill her eyes.

"I'm going to take you some place safe now."

"Take me back to Kunzite." She tried to put her full resolve into her words, yet they still seemed to come out weakly.

"He won't be too far behind us. You have nothing to worry about." Adonis looked up to Rubeus whose eyes seemed to focus on the rows of trees surrounding them. "Rubeus, I'm ready for him - bring him here."

Minako reached out and grabbed onto Adonis's arms. "What did you do to me?"

"I want you to drink this." She looked up at him skeptically but he forced a small bottle into her hands. "It will help to relieve the side effects of what you ingested." Her hand shakily rose to her lips and he reached out to help steady her extremity as the bottle opening met her lips. She gagged at the bitter taste causing some of the fluid to spill down her chin. He wiped the moisture from her skin softly with the pads of her fingers and watched over her, noticing that as the minutes passed she became less pale than she been when he first found her. "I gave you the opportunity to come with me before and I wish you had taken it. Changes are going to start happening soon and you don't want to find yourself in the middle of it. People are going to die, it's inevitable."

"I don't care what is going to happen. It's his side that I wish to be at – not yours."

"You'll learn to accept the reality around you. I'm the only thing that is keeping you alive after this night. These people have no interest in you. You are just a pawn being sacrificed for a bigger chess piece. It's unfortunate that you've found yourself in this position. I would have kept you safe - I know that some things are more important than duty." He cupped her face in his hands. "So beautiful, it's such a shame." He pressed his lips lightly against hers, tasting the salty tears that had slipped down her cheeks and landed on her lips. "I'm not the monster, Minako. Remember that," he said softly.

Heavy footsteps could be heard approaching, and as they neared, so could the chilling sound of metal being unsheathed.

"I would advise staying very still, Minako," Adonis muttered to her, brushing her hair behind her ear.

"Adonis," Kunzite growled, his eyes settling on the fair haired man whose hands lingered on the petite woman before him.

Adonis unsheathed his own sword as he rose up to meet the gaze of the taller man. To either side of Kunzite stood Zoicite and Rubeus; each with a blade in hand. "This is the last time that we will perform this dance," he said calmly.

"You betrayed your own prince."

"I could care less about this kingdom or who sits on that throne. This is about you and making you pay for your crimes. Murder warrants punishment unless you believe that you are above the law." His gaze turned over to Zoicite. "And you, standing beside him like a lap dog. We were friends, you know of his treason as well as I do. You still choose to fight with him instead of against him?"

"My loyalty is to Endymion," he answered as calmly as he could muster.

"You're blind," Adonis said bitterly. "Your loyalty has always been to this man, never to the prince."

"Don't do this, Adonis," Minako spoke quietly. "You don't need to do this."

"Minako," Kunzite said hurriedly, his eyes casting over the blonde still kneeling on the ground with her back to him. "Adonis, if you've done anything to hurt her…." The threat remained unsaid as at that moment Kunzite couldn't even begin to formulate the words spinning in the back of his head.

"I would never hurt her," Adonis spat, not giving her a chance to respond. "Not the way you did. Must you always destroy those that love you? Did you find what you were looking for in the arms of another woman?"

"Minako, move away from him," Kunzite said through gritted teeth.

Adonis's hand gripped her shoulder tightly. "She's not here for your benefit anymore. Let her hear this. She needs to know what you really are."

Zoicite took a step to the side, preparing himself to slowly approach Minako. It was their three to Adonis' one, Kunzite would distract him the man long enough so that he could help her to escape. They were a good distance from the nuptial celebrations still going on, but if he could get her a head start then at least she would stand a chance of making it back safely. He took another cautious step, his eyes flickering from Adonis back to Minako and he wondered to himself if maybe Adonis had caused her injury that prevented her from moving.

He took a moment to check Rubeus' stance and noticed that he almost seemed to be smiling at the fight that was brewing. It was an odd response to the moment, but Zoicite hardly knew him to know what constituted as normal for the man. Cautiously he took another side step, waiting until Adonis had stepped far enough away before making a move.

"Minako," Kunzite said her name again.

"Was it all a lie?" she asked, turning to face him for the first time. "Were all of your words nothing but lies? It seems that they've all come unraveled."

"I never lied to you."

"You said that you would never hurt me. Or should I have noticed when you said that you would never intentionally do so? Was that my sign? That a mistake was not an intentional effort?"

"Adonis isn't telling you what really happened." Even Kunzite had difficulty believing his own words. After all, even he didn't know the truth.

"Were you not caught by your fellow General? Did he not see you with his own eyes?" Adonis interjected.

Kunzite lunged forward with his blade, aiming at Adonis's chest. Adonis stepped back and parried the blow. Minako ducked down and crawled back a few feet trying to get herself out of the line of fire between the two men.

Zoicite took this as his moment and sheathed his sword before dashing over to where Minako had moved to. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her body close to his as Adonis' sword landed near where she had been just moments ago, after being quickly disarmed by Kunzite. As he prepared to stand, a sword was suddenly pressed against the side of his neck and a hand grabbed the material of his uniform. He silently cursed to himself at the uselessness of the decorative armor. His real armor would have provided him with some protection against the sword unlike what he wore that did little more than cover his chest.

"You're fast, Zoicite, but not fast enough," Rubeus taunted him from behind. "Release the girl and then your blade. You won't be needing it anymore." Begrudgingly, Zoicite pulled his sword from its sheath and tossed it to the side, out of his reach, but still within Minako's - if she reacted quickly enough. Rubeus gave a sharp pull on Zoicite's jacket, pulling the crouching man off balance and away from the girl. Zoicite landed on his back, his plans for springing to his feet halted as Rubues' blade pressed against his chest.

Adonis took a step backwards and reached for the short blade resting on his right hip. Kunzite didn't allow him the opportunity. He grabbed the shorter man by the jacket of his gray uniform and punched him, making him stumble back a few feet. "I will make you pay for everything you have done to her," Kunzite warned him, bringing his sword back up. "I made the mistake of letting you walk away the first time, but not again."

"She doesn't hate me the way you do. What do you think will happen when she watches you run your sword through me?"

Kunzite froze, his sword still posed to attack. A slight tremor passed through his arm from the tension in his body as his eyes looked over Adonis's head, reason battling revenge. In that brief moment Adonis' hand slowly reached for the blade at his hip.

Time stopped for Minako as she watched everything in slow motion. Panic rose through her and she looked around, ready to move towards the two men, trying to save the man that she suddenly condemned. She looked over to Zoicite's sword next to her and reached for it.

"Let me help you with that," a voice rumbled pleasantly in her ear. Her body tensed when she felt the man's arm wrap loosely around her shoulders as he kneeled behind her. His other hand landed on top of hers' and slowly pulled the sword's hilt from her grasp. From the corner of her eye she saw a shock of white hair belonging to her captor. His hand held her shoulder firmly and pulled her to stand, the sword resting at his side. "That's enough," he spoke evenly and loudly to the two men in front of him. Adonis and Kunzite both kept their eyes trained on each other, Kunzite's blade remaining firmly aimed at Adonis' neck. "You would do well to lower your blade, Kunzite," he warned.

Kunzite allowed his eyes to shift over to the voice speaking to him. With a low growl he begrudgingly brought his blade to rest in front of him, allowing Adonis to slide away to safety as he turned to face this new arrival.

"That's better," the man responded with a cool smile. "Men of our ranks should be able to talk civilly."

"You have no rank, Diamond," Kunzite muttered. "What is all of this about?"

"This is about placing the true heir on the throne," Diamond answered. "This is about justice for a murderer. Although this is hardly the place for this type of a discussion and I'm afraid that our time is going to be cut short." Diamond turned to the surrounding wooded area and signaled for the uniformed men hidden within the shadows to come forward.

"Leave her here," Kunzite quickly added. "She has nothing to do with any of this."

Diamond turned his eyes to Minako. "I suppose the choice is yours then. You may come with me and live or stay behind and die. Just make your choice quickly." She glanced down to the sword in his hand and swallowed the sob building in her throat.

"If you hurt her, Diamond, I will kill you," Kunzite said ominously.

"Then I suppose we should bring her along so that you'll cooperate. Now do her a favor and drop your sword."

Kunzite gripped the hilt of his sword tightly looking around for the first time to realize the full effect of the trap he walked into. Zoicite still lay on the ground, his body tensed as if waiting to spring despite staring down the sharp edge of Rubeus' blade. Several men in dark gray uniforms, shrouded by dark cloaks, stood around them with their weapons drawn. Zoicite at least stood a chance of fighting his way out in spite of his fallen state, but Minako wouldn't be able to pull away from Diamond and the thought of what that man would do to her was enough to send a chill through him. There was very little that he could do without sacrificing the lives of Minako and Zoicite. Not that they were expendable in his eyes, but he needed to warn Endymion of what was happening.

It was at that moment that he understood the events of that night. The guards that had been found tied up, the disappearance of Saphir. All of it had been the red herring that he said it was. It had merely served as a distraction so that Diamond could move his men into place. This deliberate plan now removed two of Endymion's protectors, and for the time being, none would be the wiser until it was too late to do anything.

Diamond sighed. "Always stubborn. I realized that you would not so easily be swayed, and I'm sure you would gladly risk the life of your friend, even that of this maiden, if it means protecting your prince – I would expect nothing less from you. Although," his voice drifted off for a moment as if lost in thought before bringing the flat end of the blade to rest against Minako's stomach, causing her to slightly jump in his arms. Kunzite lowered his stance, his body preparing to move in retaliation. "I wonder if you would be willing to reconsider if you knew it was your child's life that I held in my hands."

Kunzite's eyes quickly flickered over Minako's face, noting that her look of fear was not only a result of the sword being pointed at her. He allowed his gaze to travel to her stomach where Diamond's blade was patiently tapping against her dress. Another growl escaped his lips as he threw his blade to the ground.

Diamond nodded his head and two men approached Kunzite. The first held Kunzite's arms behind his back and the second pulled two concealed blades from Kunzite's uniform. Adonis picked up Kunzite's sword and walked towards Zoicite who had been forced to quietly watch the exchange up until now. He nodded his head at Rubeus who lowered his sword and left to stand near Diamond. "It's just going to be you and me in a moment," he said quietly to Zoicite.

Kunzite attempted to approach Diamond but was restrained by the two men still holding his arms. Diamond handed Minako off to Rubeus and with a nod of his head signaled for the red-headed man to leave with her. "If she gives you any trouble, kill her," he said simply, his eyes never leaving Kunzite's. The two men stood eye to eye being of equal heights. Both were so alike in their image from their light hair to their slim builds, down to even the same cold look in their eyes. What separated them was the angry frown marring Kunzite's features and the cruel smile that rested on Diamond's lips. "You made a big mistake giving yourself up for the girl, Kunzite. A woman who can't even be bothered to tell you that she's having your child surely isn't worth such a large sacrifice. Who knew that the day would come where you would allow for the downfall of the kingdom you spilled so much blood for to fall all because of a woman. Although, this isn't the first time that you have sacrificed the welfare of your kingdom for a woman is it? It's no wonder that you had to make her disappear."

"Let her stay with me," Kunzite said ignoring Diamond's jab.

"No." Diamond gave a brief nod of his head and the two men holding Kunzite's bound hands together pushed him forward, leaving Diamond, Adonis, and Zoicite behind. Diamond took a few steps and approached the other two men, his eyes narrowing as Zoicite lifted his upper body to rest on his elbows, bringing himself to face his captors. "So you are the fourth now," Diamond said with disinterest, looking over the young soldier who remained silent. "I should be angry that Endymion has chosen someone so young to follow in my footsteps, but you have proven to be worthwhile." His lips pulled into a grim smile. "Your persistence has shown me that I need to train my men to be better at keeping their secrets, as well as covering their tracks." He watched as Zoicite's mouth remained in a firm line and frowned, taking a step closer. "Do you have nothing to say for yourself?"

Zoicite smiled grimly. "I always imagined that the devil would be taller."

Diamond scoffed in response. "You have Kunzite's wit and cunning, of that I have no doubt, but it seems that you also have Jadeite's ill timed humor. Perhaps you have the arrogance of Nephrite that allows you to believe that you can speak so freely."

"There is no arrogance in me, just knowledge. I know what you've done, that you tried to divide and conquer Endymion's generals. You set up Kunzite to take the fall for something he had no control over knowing how Jadeite would react."

"And for all my troubles I can now take out two of Endymion's favorites in one fell swoop with a third not far behind. I'm already ahead."

"Nephrite's soldiers to the West have already engaged a group of your men. I hear that none of your men will be making it back.

An odd grin affixed itself on Diamond's face. "Sacrifices need to be made at times. What is a small battalion of my men really worth when compared what I've gained today? They all serve as distractions to thin out and wear down your armies."

"And what will you do when much of your army has been defeated?"

A deep rumbling laughter came as his response. "Endymion's army will become my army. They all so quickly fell into step after the death of Endymion's father, and now they will do the same with their next leader. Those men have not been trained for loyalty, they have been trained to obey. Your Kunzite has done quite the job ensuring this."

"You will not win this." Zoicite felt confident in his words despite the lack of strength behind them.

"Boy, we are at war and your prince has somehow failed to realize this. It matters not though. In a few days time his replacement will be on the throne and he will be dead. Much like you are about to be."

"I'm surprised that someone as strategic as you appear to be would fail to find a better purpose for me than death."

"I won't pretend that you would be willing to change sides, nor will I assume that you can be trusted. You're quick, I can see why you have been placed in charge of surveillance. It's by that same logic that I cannot allow you further time to live and devise a way out of your situation. Danburite," he called over his shoulder to Adonis, "kill him." Without sparing one last glance to either man, Diamond proceeded to follow after where his contingent of men exited through the woods.

"You don't have to die today, Zoicite. I'll talk to Diamond and make him listen."

"Diamond is right, he can't trust me," Zoicite responded, watching as the last traces of the departing man faded in the shadows of the tall trees.

"What about your wife? Is it better that she mourns you than lives to see another day with you? Would you do that to Ami?"

"Don't talk about her as if you have any concern for her well being," Zoicite growled rising to one knee, his eyes focused on the blond haired man in front of him. "She knows the sacrifices that I must make and I know that she would be disappointed if I returned a traitor even if it meant not returning at all."

"Kunzite has brainwashed you! I wish that you could see that you are nothing more than a weak extension of him!"

"We have both trained under him and are stronger for it." Zoicite fought to keep his voice calm despite the rising intensity of Adonis'.

"He's weak too, Zoicite. Didn't you see how he just gave up? There was no heroic battle. Where were his loyalties when he threw it all away? I think you know as well as I that by sacrificing the two of you he would have been able to fight his way out of here. And even after all that in the end, did he even bother to look back to you? All he cares about is that girl!"

"It seems that's all you care about as well," Zoicite commented coolly.

"I'm sorry to do this, my old friend." Adonis tightened his grip on Kunzite's sword and pulled the sword back, his elbow parallel with his shoulder, his eyes glazing over as he finally thrust it forward into Zoicite's abdomen. Zoicite attempted to twist away from the blade, grunting from the pain of the cold metal protruded through his body. Adonis yanked the blade from Zoicite's body, his face impassive as the metal easily slid free. "Maybe we'll both be better off in the next life." With that he turned his back on the fallen man, tossed aside the sword, and followed after Diamond, noticing that a small contingent of people were slowly headed his way from the celebrations still going on behind them. It didn't matter. He knew that they wouldn't bother to pursue him that evening after stumbling upon the body of their fallen comrade and the blade belonging to their hero.


	11. Chapter 11

Sorry for the long wait on an update for this story. I was attacked by a terrible case of writer's block. Extra thanks to my beta who helped me and gave me nudges when I stalled out. I'll try to get the next chapter posted a lot more quickly than this one!

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The small group consisting of Jadeite and three of Endymion's guards arrived at the clearing near the edge of the woods to find Zoicite's wounded body lying on the ground, a sword glistening nearby. Jadeite immediately ordered two of the men to return to the palace to retrieve both the doctor and Kunzite while the remaining man converged on the wooded area to look for signs of whoever had done this. Without further thought, Jadeite quickly removed his armor and shed the dark jacket of his uniform, pressing the material to Zoicite's injured abdomen in an attempt to control the bleeding that flowed freely from the several inch long gash.

Zoicite groaned as his eyes opened slightly and he placed his hand over Jadeite's. "You're gloating," he laughed lightly.

"I've always told you to guard that left side better but you never listened," Jadeite responded in jest.

"You have to forgive him." Zoicite squeezed Jadeite's hand again, flinching at the additional pressure being put on his injury.

"Who did this?" Jadeite asked angrily, purposely ignoring Zoicite's words.

"Your being angry won't help them."

"Help who?" Jadeite could feel his hands pressing harder against Zoicite's side as the younger man's hand began to grow slack against his own. Zoicite's skin appeared pale as a light sheen of sweat stained his brow.

"Jadeite," a new voice said, interrupting the two men. Jadeite looked up sharply to see Saphir standing with a sword gripped tightly in his extended arm, the pointed end held ominously in Jadeite's direction. Jadeite's eyes narrowed somewhat at the dark haired soldier, a growl forming on his lips at the interruption. Saphir's arm wavered for a moment before he finally lowered the tip of the blade to press its sharp end firmly into the ground. His fingers carefully unwound from the hilt to reveal the gold and silver lined loop-guard winding around from the pommel past the hilt. "I found this laying a few feet away from here."

Jadeite froze, his eyes first fixating on the insignia running down the side of metal, finally stopping to notice the blood splatter. "Kunzite," he whispered hoarsely. He quickly turned his attention back to Zoicite. "Where's Kunzite, Zoicite?" he asked, receiving no response. "Zoicite?" He lightly smacked Zoicite's face repeatedly trying to rouse the other man. "Zoicite, answer me!" He didn't bother to hide the growing concern and panic in his voice. "Damn it, Zoicite!" Jadeite yelled, smacking him sharply. "Answer me!"

Zoicite's eyes opened slowly but appeared dazed and unfocused. "The doctor's on his way; hang in there," Jadeite said hurriedly.

"Let me die, Jadeite." Zoicite attempted to clear his throat but only resulted in a fit of coughing. "It's ok."

For one of the first times in his life, Jadeite had trouble forming the words he wanted to speak. He could do little more than watch as Zoicite's eyes fell closed and his head rolled lifelessly to the side.

Jadeite's free hand moved to Zoicite's neck, feeling for a pulse and staring at Zoicite's face. The next few minutes flashed by almost as if he were watching everything in a picture book. Saphir took several steps back from the two men as the new batch of arrivals approached them. Jadeite felt himself being shoved out of the way by Endymion and then clumsily pulled to his feet by Nephrite. Two doctors swarmed over Zoicite's body and before Jadeite could even move to respond, Zoicite's body was being lifted and carried away. Jadeite turned his attention back to the sword that the now absent Saphir had plunged into the ground and withdrew it, carefully wiping the blood onto the dark material of his pant leg before tucking it into his belt next to his own sword. His legs felt weak thinking about the questions that he would be asked, and the answers that he would not be able to give. What happened to Kunzite and why was his sword found next to Zoicite's body? The thoughts suddenly plaguing him next sent him running back to the courtyard of the palace grounds where the wedding celebration was still going on.

The following moments continued to flash past his eyes in the most surreal manner. Nephrite made every effort to not concern the guests, somehow getting everyone to disperse so that only the palace staff remained. As the news finally reached Ami's ears, she looked to Jadeite, his expression telling her that whatever she had heard was true. She collapsed into Endymion's arms, sobbing against his chest as he attempted to comfort her. Jadeite wanted to speak to her, but the right words, or any words for that matter, continued to elude him. Makoto rushed to Ami's side and walked her inside where she would wait for the doctors to finish working on Zoicite before she would be allowed to see him - hopefully still alive. The thought brought a wave of nausea over him that he fought to squelch. He needed to not think about that. He needed to pull himself together and be prepared to become the leader that his now elevated rank required him to be. Kunzite would not have abandoned his watch over Endymion so easily – not at a time like this. If Kunzite was nowhere to be found then Jadeite could only assume by the evidence left behind that something had happened to the other man as well. Should he have been looking for two bodies instead of just the one that he stumbled upon?

The swords that they all carried tonight were special ceremonial swords that had been gifted to them as a signal of their rank as well as crafted with their own personal insignias. None of them would have ever discarded their swords so carelessly – these swords were not even touched except during ceremonial times, and even then none of them dared to use them in horseplay. Yet, inexplicably here was the sword, bloodied and chipped. Was there maybe more than just Zoicite's blood staining the blade?

He could feel himself steeling over, his shoulders squaring as he pushed aside his concerns to focus on the more rational points of his investigation. Since he knew that Kunzite obviously would not have done anything to harm Zoicite, it only made sense that these events must have to do with the breached grounds earlier. But since nothing more came of that, what was the point of the tied up guards? It happened earlier in the day, so he had trouble finding the connection between the two events. The palace grounds had been thoroughly searched and both Endymion and Serenity secured from any attacks. Did Kunzite and Minako wander away from the celebrations only to find themselves ambushed? But why would Zoicite go with them? Surely he knew better than to eavesdrop on Kunzite's personal matters – that he would have any reason to involve himself anyhow. Kunzite would be more than able to defend himself in the case of a surprise attack. Did he go willingly with the would-be assassins? This only opened even more questions. If he had gone willingly then why would he have left Zoicite behind?

Jadeite growled lowly to himself, frustrated that his thoughts continued to go in circles. If he had been in that position would Kunzite be able to figure out the mystery? Of course he would, he thought bitterly. Kunzite would never waste time on chasing such useless ideas - he would know what to do because he always did. Was he failing as a leader already? What was he missing that he should have seen?

Around him people moved about, mostly servants cleaning up the remnants of the celebration while the last stragglers of the guests made their final farewells. In the middle of the courtyard, Serenity sat on her throne with tears in her eyes. Endymion tried to whisper comforting words to her but was wholly unsuccessful. Did she know what was happening? Jadeite paused. The sudden disappearance of Minako in the midst of everything left him feeling unbalanced. She would have been with Serenity if she were still on the palace grounds. Was it possible that she had retreated back to Kunzite's home? Did she and Kunzite have a fight? Maybe Kunzite and Zoicite were alone at the time and Minako was really some place safe? No, that didn't seem right at all. Kunzite had changed; he would never leave her alone for longer than he needed to. Even when he claimed that he was guarding Endymion anyone paying even the least amount of attention would have been able to see that his eyes never strayed far from the blonde.

Was that maybe what he was missing? Was Minako the one that they should have been watching? But why would anyone want to hurt her? Sure she was Serenity's cousin, but would that have been reason enough for someone to target her knowing that Kunzite would stand between them? Who would make such a desperate attempt? Jadeite wracked his brain trying to think if any threats had been made against her, or if he had heard any conspiratorial whispering, but again nothing came to mind. That is, until he remembered talking to Endymion about what had transpired while the four generals had been away. His thoughts quickly ground to a halt. There were four of them – now there were only two. No, now wasn't the time for self pity. If Minako was a target, Rei or even his child could somehow be next on someone's list. Endymion said that he assigned a guard to watch over Minako – a man named Rubeus – until Kunzite returned. Maybe Rubeus would know more about this? But what was even more important was the reason why. Kunzite's right hand man Adonis had turned on them. Should he have seen that coming as well? Minako confessed to Endymion that Adonis claimed to have fallen in love with her – was this the work of jealousy? But Adonis alone would not be enough to bring down Kunzite and it was questionable that he would be able to defeat Zoicite in combat either. So maybe the question was 'who is Adonis working with?' Or was he again following a dead-end trail? What was the connection and what was he missing?

Nephrite pulled Jadeite out of his reverie, bringing him to the infirmary where the doctors believed that they had stabilized Zoicite. The bleeding had slowed significantly, but they feared that the lack of blood from the injury may have caused further problems. At his side, Ami sat diligently holding on to his hand. Red marks marred the pale skin of her cheeks showing him the path that her tears had fallen and no doubt where they would continue to fall throughout the night. At that moment Jadeite wondered if it was fair that he was thinking about himself laying in that bed with Rei crying at his bedside. Their son besides her – the son that he would never get to know…. Again he tried to shake off his thoughts. Kunzite would not get lost in his own selfishness, that wasn't his way. He would have a plan by now, he would know what to do and who should do it. What did Jadeite know as of right now? Nothing. His plan of action? Nothing but standby and wait to see if his friend would die, all-the-while keeping his thoughts to himself and trying to pretend that it was any other normal day.

"Ami," Jadeite said, placing his hands gently on Ami's slouched shoulders. "You should go back to your room and rest. You can come back here in the morning. The doctors will want to watch him throughout the night and it would be easier if they didn't have to worry about waking you."

"I'm not leaving his side," she answered hoarsely. "He needs me to be here."

"He needs you to rest so that you won't end up in here as well," Jadeite tried to answer comfortingly.

"No," she said resolutely, not looking back up at him. Her eyes were firmly fixated on Zoicite's sleeping face. His face had regained a slight bit of color, but the doctors feared that his coloring was a sign of a fever setting in from his wound becoming infected. But no one had wanted to explain that to Ami.

Nephrite moved behind Ami and gave her shoulders a light squeeze. "Then we'll give you some time alone," he said in his gruff voice.

"Thank you," Ami murmured as she bent down to press her lips against Zoicite's cool hand.

Jadeite watched as Nephrite started to walk out of the room, pausing only to grab Jadeite by the arm and pull him with him. He turned his eyes toward Nephrite who only stared back at him – was it a challenge? Or was he just becoming his own worst enemy with self-doubt?

Later that night, Jadeite returned to the infirmary where Zoicite was resting with Ami still at his bedside. He signaled for the two men to stay outside the room while he quietly entered. Inside he found both Zoicite and Ami sleeping, the latter sitting at the side of the bed with her head resting on her arms while the rising and falling of the former's chest could barely be noticed. Jadeite stealthily moved across the room and gently worked at untwining Ami's fingers from Zoicite's without waking either one. Fortunately Ami was too exhausted to notice the contact. Once extracted, he lifted her into his arms, noticing how light the petite woman was. It would not serve well to have her stay in the room and judging by the worn look on her face he could tell that she needed her rest. Saphir stood near the door and gently took the dark haired girl from Jadeite's arms. Jadeite watched as the pair disappeared and signaled to the remaining man to continue to wait outside as he closed the door. Ami would be angry when she awoke in the morning to find herself separated from Zoicite's side, but it was best that she not be there now.

"Explain to me how this happened," Endymion demanded angrily. He paced in front of the fireplace located in his private chambers, the first signs of daylight beginning to appear through the stained glass windows, lighting the room with eerie shades of reds and blues and greens. Serenity slept restlessly in the next room of which Jadeite tried to be mindful of as he gestured to Endymion to keep his voice low. "What changed overnight and why wasn't I told about this sooner?" He bit back against the bitter tears threatening to pool in his eyes.

"I did what I thought was best," Jadeite answered. He calmly leaned against the wall with his arms crossed at his chest. He had held this pose hundreds of times during meetings with the prince – why did it suddenly feel so foreign to him?

"I make the decisions around here!" Endymion spat. "It is not your place to decide when and how to act."

"With all due respect, Endymion," Jadeite said calmly, lifting himself slightly from the wall, "when it comes to your Generals it is my place to make decisions in lieu of Kunzite. I felt that it would be easier on everyone if we took the appropriate actions sooner rather than later."

"You don't get to take his post in the first few hours of his disappearance. He may be in pursuit of whoever has done this."

"We both know-"

"We both don't know-," Endymion attempted to yell over him.

"No!" Jadeite said loudly, stopping Endymion from continuing. He cleared his throat reminding himself again of Endymion's new bride sleeping in the next room. "We both know that for whatever reason, whatever it is that happened out there, he is gone. I pray that it was only Zoicite's blood staining Kunzite's sword and not his own. We can hope for his safe return, but it would be naïve to pretend that nothing has changed." Both men fell into silence for a few moments, both absorbing Jadeite's words. "The funeral arrangements have already been made. I saw to it myself that Zoicite was prepared in his ceremonial uniform and armor. Private services will be held this afternoon."

"Today?" Endymion gasped. "You're not allowing anyone the chance to say their goodbyes? His body isn't even cold yet."

"It's cold enough." Jadeite cleared his throat, choking on his words. "With his last breath, Zoicite asked me to honor his wishes and I hope that you will do the same." Jadeite paused as Endymion's hands moved over his face, his palms rubbing tired eyes. "I'm concerned that we have very little time to spare if we're going to prepare to retaliate," Jadeite continued slowly. "We should be quick in delivering the news and then we will meet with Nephrite and discuss our plan of action." He nodded his head in lieu of bowing and started to head towards the exit, wanting to end this encounter.

"You don't play the part of Kunzite very well," Endymion called after Jadeite.

The light haired man paused, making every effort to not allow his body to physically respond to the cutting comment. "I do what I can," Jadeite responded, standing near the doorway, keeping his back towards his prince. "If you wish for Nephrite to take over as lead General I will understand and step aside."

"That's not what I meant. What I mean is that this is not you. Kunzite did what he did, but there was an air of compassion to him that he very rarely let anyone see. If you want to take a moment to mourn the loss of a friend, no one will judge you."

"I will judge me," Jadeite responded quickly. "Your kingdom and your safety come first. Everything else is second. Please give Ami my condolences as I will probably be the last person that she will want to hear from once the news reaches her."

_"You've been so quiet this whole time, Kunzite," Diamond said somewhat mockingly. "I can't imagine that you would have so few words for me, not after all this time." He turned to look at his silent prisoner, whose eyes remained straight ahead._

_"That's a beautiful creature that you found for yourself," Diamond mused, perhaps more to himself than anyone. "I'm going to take my time with her. The fear in her eyes is just so alluring." Kunzite's face remained firm as he did his best to disregard Diamond's taunts. "She trusts you so implicitly," Diamond continued. "My second in command, Rubeus, tells me she spoke very fondly of you during your absence. One might have thought you were her hero, or maybe even her knight-in-shining-armor. Imagine that something so innocent could fall in love with someone like you. Maybe that is what I will break in her first, that sweet little innocence." Diamond looked over at Kunzite, meeting his steely gaze with a cruel one of his own. "Oh, but you've already had that honor now haven't you?" Diamond chuckled to himself. "I suppose I could have timed my resurrection a little bit better, but then I might not have had the honor of your company otherwise." _

_Kunzite's eyes returned to the path ahead of him. Minako and Rubeus, both now clothed in dark cloaks to match the others traveling in their group, walked a good distance ahead of them, and it pained him that Diamond intentionally forced him to stay at this slow pace so that he could not catch up with them. If he could only reach her he would be able to comfort her – or perhaps it would have only been a comforting gesture to his self._

"Mi-ko," Kunzite groaned almost silently. Cold water splashed against his face, nearly bringing him back to consciousness. His mind continued to picture her small form, guilt pulling at him. His body ached and it hurt to breath. All he wanted to do at that moment was to sleep and so he did.

_Diamond leaned towards Kunzite and lowered his voice as he continued to speak."She looks as though she might break at the slightest touch but I'm willing to bet that she is quite resilient. You know how I like to savor my prizes." He smiled inwardly as he noticed the tightening of Kunzite's jaw. "Do you think she'll scream when I have my way with her?"_

_Kunzite attempted to lunge at Diamond, forgetting about the binds around his wrists in his flash of anger. He could tolerate Diamond's threats and taunts being directed at him, but he would not let the other man hurt her. The two guards flanking the men immediately grabbed Kunzite's arms, holding him back inches away from a smirking Diamond. Up ahead, Minako heard the scuffle and turned her head to see the altercation. She halted mid-step, attempting to shake free of Rubeus' hold on her, but he continued forward not missing a step, jerking on her arm to pull her along with him._

_Diamond waved off the two guards and faced off against Kunzite. "Do you wish now that you had killed me when you had the chance?"_

"_I'll spit on your grave the first chance I get," Kunzite growled._

"_Once you tell me what I want to know you will get your chance to fight me, although I can make no promises for her welfare. I suppose we'll have to see how much enjoyment I can get out of her, and then I'll decide whether or not she lives."_

"_You have no interest in her," he spat._

"_No, I don't," Diamond answered in a bored tone. "But you and I have a score to settle so deep that I can't help but to bring in those most important to you." He turned his back and continued walking. "Besides, it's her cousin, our future queen that interests me most. With all the turmoil of yet another change over in the owner of the throne I think that people will feel comforted knowing that she will be their constant." One of the two guards behind Kunzite gave him a sharp nudge to continue forward. Kunzite looked pointedly at the man, his eyes narrowed before continuing down the path winding through the trees._

Something impacted painfully against his abdomen bringing him close to that precious consciousness, but his mind still refused to be roused, instead drifting back into blissful quiet.

_The neighing sound of bridled horses sounded in Kunzite's ears and he realized that the path they were traveling on was now converging upon an old forgotten road. By now Minako and Rubeus were a good distance ahead of him, the red haired man grabbing the reigns of a brown mare. _

_Diamond had remained silent for the remainder of their walk and it sickened Kunzite to think about what was passing through the man's thoughts at that moment. He kept his eyes alert to his surroundings, trying to make note of where they were headed so that he could plan his escape once he was able to get close enough to Minako._

_Rubeus pushed Minako towards the horse trying to lift her onto it. The horse seemed to share the girl's apprehension as it stomped its foot against the ground, snorting and trying to pull against the reins holding it in place. Minako fought against him, screaming refusals to cooperate. Rubeus struggled to hold her arms at her side, but she was able to pull her right arm free and managed to hit his face, her fist connecting with his eye. He grabbed her right wrist with his left hand and pulled her backside against his chest, lifting her off her feet as she attempted to kick at his shins. One of Diamond's men, a rather large muscular man with dark hair, approached the battling couple with his sword unsheathed. The sight of his sword nearly pressing against her face caused her to freeze, her body pressed against Rubeus's as she tried to distance herself from the armed man._

"_Minako!" Kunzite yelled taking a large step forward. She looked back at him, panic clearly written in her eyes. One of the men behind Kunzite grabbed the rope around his wrists and yanked on the binds as he kicked his booted foot against the back of Kunzite's right knee, bringing the silver haired general to his knees. A grunt escaped Kunzite's lips as he bit back against the sudden sharp pain surging through him. Somewhere between the impact of his captor's foot and that of the ground he heard a sickening noise coming from his knee._

_Diamond looked over at Kunzite, giving him a look of warning._

"_Don't hurt her," Kunzite commanded._

"_I have very little patience for this resistance," Diamond responded as his hand slowly rose into the air._

"_Go with them, Minako," Kunzite yelled over to her, his eyes still firmly fixed on Diamond. "No one is going to hurt you. I'll be right behind you."_

"_Kunzite," she answered tearfully. Diamond lowered his hand and waved off the armed man. With the sword removed from her face, Minako allowed her body to slump in defeat against her captor, tears freely falling down her cheeks. If Kunzite had lost his urge to fight against these people then what hope did she have left?_

_Kunzite turned his head down and closed his eyes tightly. Had he really just spared her life? Or had he merely extended it by a few more hours? Regardless he wasn't going to allow one of Diamond's thugs to either hurt or kill her, not when there was still a chance that she might find herself rescued. The sound of several horses galloping away left him feeling even more defeated. He had hoped that they would be traveling together, but separate like this, who knew if they would even be in the same location?_

_Diamond approached him, towering over the fallen man. "Don't think that because I spared her this time that I will do so again." Kunzite ground his teeth together, biting back against the bitter words threatening to spill from his lips. It would do no good to allow Diamond to see another outburst. "Do you know where we are?" He was only met with further silence. "You'll be surprised to find out exactly how many people we have in common between us." A hood fell over Kunzite's head, blocking out the remaining bits of sunlight and sending his vision into darkness. That was the last thing he remembered as a hard object impacted against his skull, the sharp pain quickly turning his thoughts into nothingness._


End file.
